Listen to the Music
by justdr34m
Summary: Melody 'Mel' Carson is like all the boys rolled up into one. A Chambers' name, Gordie's brains, Teddy's craziness, and Vern's innocents but when things turn for the worse will she be able to find herself or will she lose herself completely?
1. Before Brower

I DO NOT OWN THE MOVIE THE PLOT THE CHARACTERS OR ANYTHING ELSE PERTANING TO THE MOVIE STAND BY ME OR THE BOOK THE BODY. This is my first Stand By Me story, so review and tell me what you think whither it be good or bad.

--

"Sarah Jane, stop jumping on my bed!" I whined as my little sister jumped at the foot of my bed. She had a nasty habit of trying to see how close she could get to my legs before she actually jumped on them. I lifted my head slightly to look at the time, 6:24 AM. Rolling by eyes I pushed my head underneath my pillow and pulled the blanket up, trying to block her out.

Just then she landed on my leg, "Ow. . . Sarah, what did I tell you!" My youngest brother then came running into my room screaming at the top of his lungs, "James Peter!"

His scream subsided, "Mama wants you downstairs, Mel."

I glared at him from under the pillow, "Tell her I'll be down in a minute." He nodded fast and then took off running. I shoved the blanket off and threw the pillow onto the ground, sighing I got out of bed. Re-adjusting the boxers I'd stolen from my older brother Samuel and my tank top I walked out of my room and downstairs into the kitchen, where mom stood staring at the mess from last night. "James, take your sister and play outside, huh?" he nodded and took Sarah outside. "Ma?"

She looked up from the glass covered floor, "Oh, your up, good. I thought I was going to get stuck cleaning this. I'm going out, and when I get back I expect the kitchen to be clean, understand."

I nodded, my face set, it was always like her. After a big fight she always left a mess for me to clean up, it never changed. I watched as she left, kissing James and Sarah on the forehead before getting into her car.

Picking up the broom I started sweeping up the glass. Afterwards I got the vacuum and made sure it was all picked up just in case Sarah or James decided to run through the kitchen bare footed. I had mopped the floor to, having to remove all the blood drops that were scattered everywhere. I had just starting to clean the counters when I heard, "Hey there, you two, your sister inside?"

I looked through the open door and saw Chris standing there, "I'm in the kitchen!" I called.

He came in and noticed the garbage bin filled with glass, "Trouble last night?" I nodded, my back was too him, as I finished the counter I was working on. "Everything okay?" Nodding again, I started working on the sink, washing, drying and putting away the dishes that seemed to pile up over night. I could feel Chris' eyes watching me, looking for a clue, he knew everything wasn't okay, "Turn around, Mel."

I felt defeated, I always did when I had to show Chris the outcome of my houses many fights. But then I guess he always felt defeated when I saw his. I put the towel I was using to dry dishes down, and turned around letting Chris see the outcome of last night's fight. "Oh, Mel," he came over to me and lightly let his finger run over the three inch gash that was just above my right eye. Blood had been everywhere last night. As he looked me over, he took in the black eye the fat lip, along with all the scratches I'd gotten on my forearms.

I looked at his face and took in the disappearing bruise around his left eye. I sighed in my head but laughed when I said,"We are two of a kind, Chambers."

Chris smiled, "Yeah. Ain't nobody like us."

I finished the kitchen and went up stairs with Chris following after me. I pulled a pair of shorts, a tank top and a short sleeve shirt, and some undergarments from my room and went into the bath room. Like usual Chris waited outside the door, until the count of forty-three, and then he came in. Taking a seat in the stool Sarah used so she could look at herself in the mirror, "What'd your mom say?"

"She looked at it, but said it wasn't in need of stitches. She's such a bitch, I didn't get it to stop bleeding until I used super-glue to close the cut." I turned the water off and held my hand out of the shower curtain and Chris put a towel in it. Wrapping it around me I climbed out.

Chris, "You wanna go find the guys and get some ice cream or something?"

I nodded, as I slid on my underwear underneath my towel. With an expert touch I pulled on my bra just before the towel fell. Pulling on my tank-top and shorts, and then my short sleeved shirt. I brushed my hair, put deodorant on and applied some butterfly bandages to my cut. I grabbed Chris' elbow and pulled him out of the bathroom, and down to the kitchen when I slide on a pair of shoes. Walking out I called to James, "Hey, you two behave yourselves, huh? You know where your brother is if you need something. Don't burn the house down!" I called after them as we were heading down the street.

Chris laughed, "Hey, you wanna race?"

I let my mouth fall open, "Race, Chris Chambers? It must be my lucky day."

"Where to, Miss. Carson?"

"The tree house!" I shouted as I took off running. Chris and I were as even as we could get in running, no matter how hard we tried we could never beat the other. I guess that's what the fun was, trying to out due the other.

Just as we were turning the corner we stopped, Ace, Eyeball and Reaper (my brother) were all sitting on the steps in front of the candy shop. Ignoring them we started to walk by until Ace said, "Awe, look at that, Eyeball, Reaper your brother and sister make a nice couple."

I gripped Chris' arm harder so he didn't turn around and start yelling. Just then we heard them all get up and soon they surrounded us, Ace, "I was talking to you."

I smiled, "I guess it wasn't all that important, because we weren't listening so if you wouldn't mind we'd like to get by."

Instantly Ace picked me up by my shirt collar and pushed me into a wall, while the other two kept Chris away, "What did you say to me?"

I had this bad habit, even if i I know I shouldn't, I'll say it anyway, "Man, you have a big mouth. Did you get it from sucking your dad's dick last night? And that smell, wow you're mother ain't getting any riper huh?"

Ace moved his hand to my neck and held it there, it slowly started pushing on my wind pipe, blocking off my air, "What did you say to me?"

Though my voice came off weak I said, "You heard me."

He pushed harder causing me to try and pull his hand away from my neck, "Take it back!" he screamed. I shook my head, he pushed hard, "Take it back!"

"No!" I said just barely above a whisper. Ace's eyes flashed with aggression.

Chris shouted, "Just take it back, Mel! Reaper help her, come on she's your sister! He's going to kill her!"

I cast a glance over at Chris looking at him pleading for his brother and my brother to do something. I clenched my right hand into a fist and punched Ace. He dropped me fast and Chris and I took off running. When we got far enough away Chris started laughing and jumping, "Wow that was amazing!" I laughed and then started coughing. "Hey, you okay?"

I shook him away, "Yeah, yeah I'm good. Just need a little air, that's all."

Chris, "Let's go get some ice cream."

I stood up, "Race ya." Chris laughed and he took off, "Hey no fair!"

Just as before Chris and I reached the ice cream parlor at the same time, Joe the owner was inside, "Hey there you two."

"Morning Joe," we answered.

We sat down and Joe started working, "Banana Split with two spoons coming right up."

It's what we got every time we came here, one because it was good, and two because it was one of the cheapest things on the menu. Both of us always made sure we had thirty seven cents, in our pockets. It'd didn't matter if we weren't planning on going to the ice cream parlor we just always came prepared. We paid our 74¢ and started eating.

Chris, "I can't believe you said that to, Ace." He paused as he took a bit of a banana, "That had to have been the most stupidest, most amazingest thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, but he's gonna get me back. You know it, I know it, and it's not gonna just be a few hits, he was real mad," I said looking at my ice cream filled spoon. "Hey, I gotta go, I'll meet you at the tree house, okay?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah, sure."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and left. I could feel a bruise forming on my throat, I wasn't really surprised Ace's grip on my neck nearly killed me, the least it could do was leave a bruise. I smiled when I saw Gordie walking into a convenient store. Running after him I got there just as he was paying for one of his Detective Magazines, "Hey Gordie."

He turned around, "Oh, hey Mel, you heading to the tree house?"

I smiled, "Yeah. Wanna walk with me?"


	2. The Treehouse

Gordie and I didn't say anything the whole way to the tree house, as we got to the top we could hear the radio blasting, "Hey, it's the Bossman, Bob Cormier here. It's a beautiful Friday morning in Portland! It's 90 K-L-A-M degrees and getting' hotter! Up the ladder with another platter, it's Bobby Day with 'Rockin' Robbin' it's BOSS!"

Gordie climbed up the tree house first and did the secret knock, a few seconds later the trap door opened. Teddy and Chris we're already inside, we took our seats and they dealt us. We hadn't been playing for very long when Chris said, "Hey. How do you know a Frenchman's been in your backyard?"

Teddy, "Hey, I'm French, okay?"

Chris ignored Teddy and continued, "Your garbage cans are empty and your dog's pregnant." Chris, Gordie and I started laughing.

Teddy, "Didn't I just say I was French?"

I laughed, "Shut up, Teddy. I knock."

Teddy, "Shit!"

"Thirty," I said.

Chris, "Twenty-nine."

Teddy, "Twenty-two."

Gordie threw his cards down, "Oh, piss up a rope!"

We laughed while Teddy yelled, "Gordie's out! Ol' Gordie just bit the bag and stepped out the door! Hee-he-hehe!" Gordie moved out of his seat and sat by the window reading his Detective Magazine.

Chris, "Come on, man, deal."

Teddy, "I knock."

Chris, "You four-eyed pile of shit!"

Teddy, "The pile of shit has a _thousand_ eyes!" Gordie, Chris and I looked at each other and started laughing. "What!? What's so funny? Come on. I've got thirty. What've you two got?"

Chris chuckled, "Sixteen."

I looked at my cards again, "Thirteen."

Teddy, "Go ahead, keep laughing. You're down to your ride, pal."

Someone knocked on the trap door, Gordie and I yelled, "That's not the secret knock!"

Vern, "I forget the secret knock. Lemme in!"

We all looked at one another, "Vern."

As Chris was moving the table to the side so Vern could come up Vern called up, "Come on you guys open up." As he started climbing through he was already speaking, "Oh man! You guys are not gonna believe this. This is so boss! Oh, man! Wait'll you hear this! Wait'll you hear this! You won't believe it. It's unbelievable!" He paused for a second, "Let me catch my breath. I ran all the way from my house."

Chris and I started singing, "I ran all the wa-ay home, just to say I'm sor-ry.." While Teddy and Gordie acted as our back up.

Vern, "Come on you guys, listen to me. This is boss. Come on." We continued singing, "Okay, forget it. I don't have to tell you nothin'."

I stopped sining, "Alright. Hold on, you guys, hold on."

Chris, "What is it, man?"

Vern, "Okay. Great, you won't believe this. Sincerely."

We started singing again, "I ran all the way-ay home..."

Vern, "Screw you guys! Forget it."

We stopped singing again, Chris, "What is it?"

Vern, "Can you guys camp out tonight? I mean if you tell your folks we're gonna tent out in my back field?"

Chris, "Yeah, I think so. Except my dad's kind of on a mean streak you know, you know he's been drinkin' a lot lately."

Vern, "You've got to, man. Sincerely. You won't believe this! Can you, Gordie?!"

Gordie, "Yeah, probably."

Vern turned to me, "Mel?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, Vern, things got a little out of hand last night at my place. I don't know if I can leave James and Sarah alone, ya know?"

Teddy interrupted Vern before he could say anything, "So, what are you pissin' and moanin' about, Verno?"

Chris, "I knock."

Teddy, "What?! You liar! You ain't got not pat hand! You didn't deal yourself no pat hand!"

Chris laughed, "Make your draw, shitheap."

Vern, "You guys wanna go see a dead body?" We all turned and looked at him, "Well, I was under the porch digging, you know..."

As he finished his story Teddy shouted, "I know the Back Harlow Road! It comes to a dead end by the Royal River. The train-tracks are right there! Me 'n' my dad used to fish for Cossies out there!"

I looked at Vern, "Jesus Christ, Vern. If they would have known you were under there they would've killed you."

Gordie, "Could have have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow? That's really far."

Chris, "Sure. He must have started walking on the train-tracks and just followed them the whole way."

Teddy, "Yeah. Yeah, right. And then after dark the train must have come along ... el smacko!"

I rolled my eyes, "Gee thanks for that mental image, Teddy. It's bad enough actually finding out he's dead."

Chris, "Yeah." he paused for a second, "Hey, you guys! I bet you anything that if we find him we'll get our pictures in the paper!"

Teddy, "Yeah, yeah. We could even be on TV!"

Chris, "Sure!"

Teddy, "We'll be heroes!"

Chris, "Yeah!"

Vern, "I don't know. Billy will know where I found out."

Gordie, "He's not gonna care, 'cause it's gonna be us guys that find him, not Billy and Charlie Hogan in a boosted car. They'll probably pin a medal on you, Vern."

Vern, "Yeah, you think so?"

Gordie, "Sure!"

Vern, "What'll we tell our folks?"

"Easy, we tell them exactly what you said. We'll tell our folks we're tenting in your back field. You tell your folks you're sleep at Teddy's. Then we'll say we're gonna go to the drags the next day," I said.

Gordie, "Yeah, we'll be rock solid 'til dinner tomorrow night."

Chris, "Man, that's a plan and a half!"

Gordie and Chris skinned it.

Vern, "But if we do find the kid's body over in South Harlow, they'll know we didn't go to the drag races. We'll get hided!"

Teddy, "Nobody will care, 'cause everybody's gonna be so jazzed about what we found it's not gonna make a difference!"

Chris, "Yeah! Well, my dad'll hide me anyway. But hell, it's worth a hiding!"

I nodded, "Yeah, it'll be worth a hiding."

Teddy, "Shit, yeah!"

Chris, "Let's do it! Whatddya say?"

Teddy, "Alright!"

Chris, "Gordie?"

Gordie, "Sure."

Chris looked at me, "Mel?"

"You think I'm gonna let you four go off by yourselves? No way in hell, I'm in," I laughed.

Chris, smiled, "Vern?"

Vern, "I don't know."

Chris, "Vern!"

"Come on, Vern, it was your idea you have to go!" I said.

Chris pulled Vern into a headlock and started giving him noogies. While Teddy pinched his cheek.

Vern, "Okay, alright."

Teddy, "Yeah, cool. Very cool. Very, very cool. Yes!"


	3. Boys

We all left the tree house and parted in our ways to go to our houses, "Chris?"

"Yeah, Mel?" he answered.

"You think, James and Sarah'll be okay if I leave um alone for a night?" worry filled my voice. I glanced at him and he was looking at me.

He stopped and made me face him, "I'm sure they'll be just fine. Hey, trust me."

I smiled and we started walking again, we parted once he started heading up his walk way to his house, and I headed up mine. Ma still wasn't home and when I walked in Sarah and James were watching TV. "Hey, Mel," James said smiling up at me.

"Hey, little man, you guy's eat?" I saw him nod as I went to the back closet and got out my sister's old bed roll.

"You going somewhere?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, me and the guys are gonna go camping out in Vern's back field, and we're hittin the drags tomorrow. So I wont be home tonight, or tomorrow k?" he nodded fear building in him. I sat down and pulled him onto my lap, "Hey, it'll be okay. You remember what I taught you?"

He nodded, "When things get rough, get Sarah and hide in your room."

"Right, and what do you do while you're in my room?"

He thought for a second, "Lock the door, and don't make a sound."

I kissed him on the forehead, "Very good." I put him back on the couch and got up, "Look after your sister for me. And if you're good while I'm away I might even take you out for ice cream."

I heard the door open and Chris came in, carrying his bedroll, "Ready?"

"Gimme a minute," I ran into my room and grabbed some change off the nightstand and then went back down. "You think we should bring some food?"

Chris shook his head, "Na, I'm sure someone else will."

I knelt in front of James, he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and I gave him one back. And then I went to Sarah, "Sarah Jane you behave and listen to your brother," she nodded and gave me a hug and kiss too.

I got up and started walking and Chris put a arm around my shoulder, "They'll be fine."

I smiled at him and we left. As we were walking a guy in a truck with bales of hay in the back stopped, "You guy's wanna ride?"

"Sure, thanks," I said while Chris helped me into the truck. As we were driving through town we spotted Gordie walking. Chris, "Right here's cool"

The driver stopped, Gordie looked at us, "Hey, Chris, Mel."

Chris called to the driver, "Thanks a lot!"

Driver, "Sure thing!"

I smiled at Gordie, "Hey Gordie."

Chris, "Gordo!"

Gordie, "Hey guys."

As we were walking Chris got all excited, "Wanna see something?"

Gordie answered back distantly, "Sure, what?"

I put a hand on Gordie's shoulder, "You okay?"

Gordie snapped at me, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Chris tried lighting the mood, "Come on, man!"

We ran around the corner and into the alley behind the Blue Point Diner.

Gordie, "What is it?"

Chris dug into his bed roll, "Oh, man. You gotta see this!"

Gordie, "Come on, man. What is it? Come on, what is it?"

Chris pulled out a pistol, "You wanna be the Lone Ranger, or the Cisco Kid?"

I laughed, "You're dad's going to kill you, Chambers."

Chris smirked at me and handed the pistol to Gordie, "Walkin', talkin', Jesus! Where'd you get this?!"

Chris, "Hawked it from my old man's bureau. It's a .45."

Gordie looked at Chris, "I can see that." He then pretended as if we shot it, "You got shells for it?"

Chris, "Yeah. Took all that was left in the box. My dad'll think that he used them himself shootin' at beer cans while he was drunk."

Gordie pretended to shoot again, "Is it loaded?"

Chris, "Hell, no! What do you think I am?"

Gordie pointed, "Hey, hey don't point it at me," I cried.

Gordie, "Don't worry I'm not, I'm aiming at that garbage can behind you." He cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger, and the gun unexpectedly fired into a garbage can, narrowly missing me. We all yelled, "JE-SUS!"

Gordie, "Let's get outta here! Come on!"

We ran away while Chris began to laugh, "Gordie did it! Gordie Lachance is shootin up Castle Rock!"

Gordie, "Shut up!"

As we were running down the alley, Francine Tupper, one of the waitresses from the Blue Point Diner came out to investigate the noise, "Hey, who did that?! Who's lettin' cherry bombs off out here?!"

As we made it to the side walk in front of all the businesses, we started walking away from the area, Chris, "Oh, man! You should have seen your face! Damn, that was cool! That was really fine! Though you did almost shoot Mel."

Gordie, "At least I didn't hit her"

I laughed, "I'm grateful, and to show my gratitude I'm going to buy us a pack of gum, I'll be right back."

With out giving me a second glance they continued arguing about the gun being loaded. I went into the corner store and bought a pack of gum, and then I started walking back to where the boy's had been. That's when I saw Ace sitting on top of Chris, "Take it back!" he was yelling.

Goride, "Come on, man! Stop it! You're hurting him!"

Chris, "Bastard! Let go, man! Shit!"

Gordie, "Stop it, man!"

I started across the street, hearing Ace yell again, "Take it back, kid."

I took off running when Ace picked up a cigarette and started bringing it closer to Chris' face. As I got there I brought my leg back and kicked Ace, knocking him off Chris, "Get the hell off him, Ace."

Ace held his eye, "You bitch! You're gonna pay for this!"

Eyeball started to walk towards me, I glared at him, "Fuck off."

Ace growled, "You're getting to be a pain in my ass."

"Sorry, I don't do that kind of stuff. But, maybe if you ask Eyeball here not to push it in as far, you could get your little situation, worked out."

Before Ace was able to jump me I took off running. Ace not wanting to give chase, instead he spit at Chris and Gordie, "See you later, girls."

Chris and Gordie watched as Ace and Eyeball walked away. Eyeball was still wearing Gordie's hat. When they turned the corner Chris put an arm over Gordie's shoulders, "Come on. Just forget 'em."

"Yeah, Gordie, Samuel will get it back for you. He sure maybe a pain but he was still one of Denny's friends," I said. They turned around, "Sorry, I took off, wasn't really wanting a beating before we left on our trip."

Chris laughed, "Man, Carson you took off running like you weren't coming back."

Gordie, "Yeah Mel, I thought you'd be halfway to Harlow by now."

I laughed, "Funny! Come on, let's go." We started walking down the sidewalk to met up with the others. Chris twisted his leg so he kicked Gordie in the butt, Gordie laughed and did it back. I shook my head, "Boys."


	4. Journey Beginning

We met up with the other's and started walking on the tracks, Chris had just told Teddy and Vern about the gun. Vern, "Well, what do we need a pistol for anyway?"

Chris, "It's spooky sleeping out at night in the woods. You might see a bear – or a garbage can."

We all laughed. Vern, "I brought a comb."

Chris, "What do we need a comb for?"

Vern, "Well if we get on TV we wanna look good, don't we?"

Gordie, "That's a lot of thinkin, Vern."

Vern, "Thanks."

Teddy fake punched Vern in the face, and laughed when Vern flinched, "Two for flinching!"

He punched him twice in the shoulder. Just then we stopped as we were about to cross the first bridge that went out of town.

Teddy, "How far do you think it's gonna be?"

Chris, "If we follow the tracks all the way into Harlow . . "

I took over, " . . should be about twenty miles."

Chris, "Sound about right to you, Gordie?"

Gordie stood there for a second, "You two are kind of scary when you do that."

Chris and I looked at each other, "What?"

Gordie laughed, "You two spend to much time together, you can finish each other sentences."

Chris and I laughed and swung our arms over each other's shoulder's, "We could never spend to much time together."

Vern continued on the subject of our traveling, "Maybe, we should just hitchhike."

Teddy, "No way, that sucks!"

Vern, "Why not? We could go out to Route 7 to the Shiloh church, then down the Back Harlow Road. We'll be there before sundown."

I looked at Vern, "Oh, come on, Vern. Where's your sense of adventure!"

Teddy, "He left it at home."

Vern, "I'm just saying it's a long ways."

Teddy turned to Vern, "Did your mother ever have any kids that lived?"

Vern, "What do you mean?"

Teddy shook his head and we continued walking. After awhile we started singing the theme song for the boy's favorite TV western. I'd never seen it besides bit's and pieces, considering I wasn't allowed to watch TV at home. And when I stayed at Chris' house we were to busy goofing to watch TV.

But I knew enough to be able to sing the theme song with them, "'Have Gun, Will Travel' reads the card of a man. A knight without armor in a savage land. His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind. A soldier of fortune is the man called, Paladin."

Vern, "Man, Mel, you sing real well."

We ignored Teddy who was finishing the song on his own. I smiled at Vern, "There's a reason my parent's named me Melody, you know."

Gordie, "Ain't no one on this Earth with a voice like yours, Mel. I bet you could become one of those singers and get your songs all over the radio."

Chris laughed and picked me up spinning me, "Yeah, and you'll travel all over the world."

I laughed, "Only if you travel with me."

Chris smiled, "Always."

As we got closer to the junkyard Gordie said, "We have to fill up at the junkyard. My dad says it's a safe well."

Vern, "Not if Chopper's there."

"If Chopper's there, we'll send _you_ in," I giggled.

Vern, "Ha-ha. Very funny," he walked a few more steps, "Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Who's got the food?"

Teddy, "Oh, shit! Did anybody bring anything?"

Chris, "Not me. Gordie?"

Gordie shook his head, "Mel?"

I shook my head too.

Teddy, "Oh, oh, this is great! What are we suppose to do, eat our feet?!"

Chris looked at Teddy, "You mean you didn't bring anything either?"

Teddy, "Well shit, this wasn't my idea! It was Vern's idea. Why didn't you bring something?"

Vern, "What am I suppose to do, think of everything? I brought the comb!"

Teddy, "Oh, great! You brought the comb! What do you need a comb for? You don't even have hair!"

Vern, "I brought it for you guys!"

I stepped between the too holding up my hands, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Let's see how much money we got. God you two act like we're going to starve or something, we're only going to be gone a day an a half, Jesus, people have gone longer."

We all took a seat between the rails. We dug into our pocket's and brought out all our change.

Gordie, "I got a eighty-three." Chris handed over his money, "Sixty-eight cents from Chris." Teddy handed his money over, "Sixty cents from Teddy." I dropped my money into Gordie's hand, "Seventy-nine from Mel, and seven cent's from Vern?"

I clapped my hands together, "Well, two-ninety-seven's not bad. Quidaciolu's is at the end of that little road the goes by the junkyard. I'm sure we can get some stuff there."

Chris started to pick up his stuff, "Train comin'"

We all started getting off, but then we noticed Teddy still standing on the train tracks. Gordie, "Come on, Teddy."

Teddy, "No. Uh-uh. I'm gonna dodge it."

Chris, "Come on Teddy, man. Get off the tracks – you're crazy."

Teddy, "Train dodge. Dig it."

"No, I ain't digging it, Teddy. You're gonna get yourself killed! Get the hell off the tracks!" I screamed.

Teddy, "Just like the beach at Normandy," he started to imitate a machine-gun firing at the train.

Chris, "Come on, man. Come on!"

Chris ran up onto the tracks and started struggling with Teddy to pull him off. When he wasn't getting anywhere, I ran up and grabbed a hold of Teddy too, and we both we're able to push him off just as the train whizzed by. As we got off the tracks Chris and I let Teddy go, and when he came back after us, Vern grabbed a hold of him. Gordie grabbed onto on of Chris' shoulders while I took the other. Teddy and Chris started yelling at each other, their world becoming lost in the passing train. Chris, "We're just tryin' to save your life, man! You wanna kill yourself?! Is that what you want, goddamn it?! You're tryin' to kill yourself!"

Teddy glared at both Chris and I, "I don't need no babysitter."

"You do too," I said.

Chris and I both held our hands out to Teddy, "Skin it."

Teddy brushed through us, "I could've dodged it."

We jogged after Teddy and stopped him, Chris, "Listen, Teddy. You can dodge it on the way back, man. Peace. Skin it."

We held our palms out again for him, and he reluctantly slid his own palm against ours.

Continuing walking we stopped in front of the fence for Castle Rock Salvage, and we saw all the wrecked cars, "Hey Vern, looks like your ma's been out drivin' again."

Vern, "Oh, that's so funny, Gordie. It's so funny I forgot to laugh."

Teddy threw his pack over the fence and started to act as if he was a soldier in combat, "Stand back, men! Paratroops, over the side!"

We followed suit dropping down to the ground, Teddy was already far ahead still playing. Chris, "Teddy's crazy."

His voice reached our ears, "Where's the B.A.R.?! Come on! Come on, men! Move it out!"

Gordie and I, "Yeah."

I continued, "He won't live to be twenty."

Gordie, "Chris, you remember that time you saved him in the tree?"

Chris, "Yeah. You know, I dream about that sometimes. Except in the dream I always miss him. I just get a couple of his hairs, and down he goes. It's weird."

Gordie, "Yeah, that _is_ weird."

"It's your sub-conscious playing what you feared would happen," I answered. Chris gave me a look, "It means deep down in your mind you still worry what would have happened if you had missed him."

Gordie, "But he didn't miss him. Chris Chamber's never misses, does he."

Chris, "Not even when the ladies leave the seat down." Forming a circle with his thumb and index finger he spit through it.

I laughed, "I'll have to put that fact to the test, wont I."

Chris nudged me, "Hey, I'll race ya two."

Gordie, "Nah, I don't think so."

"Aw – right to the pump," I begged.

Chris, "Yeah, come on."

Gordie, "Ahh, I'm kind of tired – GO!!"

He took off running while Chris and I stared at each other and then followed suit, both of us were shouting, "Oh! You're a dead man, Lachance!"

Chris and I quickly caught up to Gordie, Chris started calling the race, "It looks like Lachance has got them beat this time. He's got Carson and Chamber's beat! But, wait! What's this? Chamber's pulls in on the inside, Carson on the outside, each are making their move. Lachance is fading on it! Chambers and Carson at the tape! The crowd goes wild!"

I laughed and started making the sound of a roaring crowd.

Gordie, "Man, why do you two always finish at the same time. It's just weird."

We shrugged and sat down after Gordie and Teddy filled their canteens. Teddy, "Hey, you guys been watching the "Mickey Mouse Club' lately?"

Everyone answered except myself, "Yeah."

Teddy, "I think Annette's tits are getting bigger."

Chris, "Think so?"

Teddy, "Yeah, I think so."

Gordie, "Yeah, I think he's right. I've been noticing lately that the 'A' and the 'E' are starting to bend around the sides."

I shook my head while the others laughed, "God your all disgusting."

Teddy, "So what? Your opinion doesn't matter, you don't even watch TV."

Vern, "Annette's tits are great."

Everyone else, "Yeah."

I glared at Teddy, "Ass."

We started throwing rocks into a old coffee can we'd found, while we reflected a bit, when Vern broke the silence, "This is a really good time."

Chris and I, "The most."

Teddy, "A blast."

Gordie picked up his water and started spitting it at the can, the rest of us followed.

Teddy took a mouthful and turned his head and spit on Vern. "Great. Spit on the fat kid. Real good." Vern wiped his face, "What time is it, Gordie?"

Gordie pulled a watch out of his pocket, "Umm, it's a quarter after one."

"We better go get the food. The junkyard opens at three," I said getting up and stretching.

Vern, "Yeah, Chopper will be here."

Chris laughed, "Ooh. Sic balls!"

Teddy, "You go. You can pick us up on the way back."

Vern, "I'm not going alone. We should all go."

Teddy, "I'm stayin' right here."

Gordie, "Yeah, man I'm not goin'. I'm not goin' all the way out there."

Chris, "Girls, girls, girls cool it. . . "

"We'll just flip for it," I said holding my hand out for Gordie to hand me a nickel.

Gordie, "Odd man goes?"

Teddy laughed, "That's you, Gordie. Odd as a cod."

I rolled my eyes, "You're so stupid, Teddy."

Gordie, "Flip or eat lead."

We each flipped and compared. Vern, "Five tails! Oh Jesus man, that's a goocher!"

Chris, "Come on, Vern. That doesn't mean anything! Let's go again."

Vern, "No man. No man. A goocher – that's really bad! You remember when Clint Bracken and those guys got wiped-out on Weed Hill in Durham? Billy told me that they was flippin' for beers and they came up with a goocher just before they got into the car, and BANG! They all got totaled! I don't like this. Sincerely."

Teddy, "Verno! Nobody believes that crap about moons and goochers, it's _baby_ stuff! Now come on, flip again."

We all flipped except for Vern. "Vern, it's okay really. Come on there isn't anything to be afraid of."

Reluctantly Vern flipped. As we looked, Gordie and I both had tails.

Teddy, "You lost! He-he-he-he! Gordie and Mel lost! You two just screwed the pooch!"

Gordie, "Does the word _retarded_ mean anything to you?"

Teddy, "Go get the provisions, you morphadite."

Gordie glared at him, "Don't call us any of your mother's pet names."

Teddy, "What a wet end you are, Lachance!"

Gordie, "Shut up."

The others looked at each other and started singing, "I don't shut up, I grow up. And when I look at you I throw up." Then they pretended to puke.

Gordie, "And then your mother goes around the corner and she licks it up."

Chris, Vern and Teddy, "Oooo." I looked at them and rolled my eyes as they started wrestling.

I grabbed Gordie's arm, "Come on."


	5. My Friends

As we we're walking I started humming. "Mmm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm," Gordie looked at me, "Why don't you sing?"

I looked at him, "I always sing."

Gordie shook his head, "No you always hum. You rarely sing."

I laughed, "The song starts off hummin, Gordie."

He thought for a second, "Still. You have an amazing voice and you we hardly ever hear it."

Smiling, "Yeah well you have an amazing ability to write stories, and I hardly ever see them.

Gordie shook his head, "They're not all that great."

"God gave you a gift Lachance, your stories are a gift. My singing is something less. But if it'll make you happy I'll sing you a song every time you write a new story."

Holding out his pinkie, "Swear?"

I hooked his pinkie with mine and then kissed mine holding it up like I was doing a scout's honor, "Swear." I swung my arm over his shoulder, "Now come on."

I hurried to Quidaciolu's store before Gordie could ask my what I meant by my singing being lesser than a gift. Gordie went straight to the counter and asked for two dollars worth of hamburger while I went and got soda and some candy bars. As I came back I heard the store owner, "...You look like your brother – Denny. People ever tell you that?"

Gordie, looked un-comfortable but still answered, "Sometimes."

The owner continued, "I remember the year he was All-Conference. Quarterback, he played. Boy, could he throw. Father, God and Sonny Jesus!"

Before the owner could continued I cleared my throat, "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your oh so unwelcome memories of my friends brother, but as you see we didn't come in here to converse about one's dead family members, understand? So if you would be so kind, we'd like to pay for our provisions and we'll gladly be on our way."

The owner glared at me, "I know who you are."

"Good for you. I'm sure quite a few people know who I am. What is it that gave me away, my good looks? My charming smile? Or perhaps it was my enchanting personality? You see, Mr. I don't really care. You speak on your toes when you speak to my friends, got that? If I ever hear you bring up Denny Lachance again, I will cut your tongue out."

I set down two-eighty-three and I pulled Gordie out of the store. As we got out of sight of the store I stopped and looked at Gordie, "You okay?"

He nodded, "Thanks. You know... for making him stop."

I nodded, "Sure thing, Gordie. You know I'd kill the world if you asked me."

He smiled, "I know."

I cocked my head at him and raised my eyebrows, "Wanna race?"

He laughed, "Nah, you'd beat me, and where's the fun in knowing the outcome?"

I shrugged, "It's fun because, if you know the outcome, you work harder to change it."

By the time we reached where we'd left the other's they weren't there. I looked around, "Oh, their going to die."

Gordie started walking a little bit, and I followed, we watched as Chris, Teddy and Vern were climbing over the fence. Just then we heard Milo shouting behind us, "Hey! Hey you, kids! What're you doing there?! Come over here! You! You!"

I pushed Gordie ahead of me, "Run!"

Milo was calling after us, "Come back here! Come back here, goddamn it! I'll sic my dog on you!"

Chris, Teddy and Vern were all cheering for us on the other side of the fence, "Run, Gordie! Faster Mel!"

Milo, "Chopper, sic um! Sic um, boy!"

Gordie started screaming. And he stumbled, his pack falling off his shoulder. I slid to a stop, "Run!" I ran back and got the pack, looking as Milo and the dog got closer. Swinging it over my shoulder I took off again. I heard Gordie reach the fence, a few seconds later I jumped and caught the fence, a few steps later I reached the top and jumped down. I stood up to hear Gordie cry, "That's Chopper?!"

Turning around I noticed a Golden Retriever at the fence, and I laughed. Ignoring Teddy as he started teasing the dog, I zoned off, remembering a time when my family had once had a golden retrier. It was when Elizabeth lived with us, before she left for college. I was only ten then, my hands were always in everything. Elizabeth knew leaving the dog would only cause it to starve. Dad was never around, and mom was always working, trying to forget the dad was always gone. That was also the year Samuel started hanging with Ace. When Elizabeth left for college, she took the dog with her. I came back into the conversation when I heard Teddy say, "My father stormed the beach at Normandy."

Milo, "He's crazier than a shithouse rat! No wonder you're actin' the way you are, with a loony for a father."

Teddy, "You call my dad loony again and I'll kill you."

Milo, "Loony, loony, loony."

Teddy jumped onto the fence and started to try and climb it, "Ahhh! I'm gonna rip your head off, and shit down your neck!" We all jumped after Teddy and pulled him back down. Chris held him down as Teddy continued screaming, "Oh, I'm gonna kill that asshole!"

Milo, "You come on and try it, you little slimy bastard!"

Chris was screaming at Teddy trying to talk some sense into him, "He wants you to go over there so he can beat the piss out of you and then take you to the cops!"

Milo, "You watch your mouth, smart guy. Let him do his own fighting."

Gordie, "Sure. You only outweigh him by 500 pounds, fatass!"

Milo, "I know you're name. You're Lachance! I know all you guys. Chambers, Tessio" he looked at me and started pointing his finger, "and you, you're Melody Carson."

I smiled, "Wow, don't exert your brain to much there, Milo, it'd sure be a sad event if your brain exploded."

He glared, "I'm calling all your fathers," he moved his glare to Teddy, "Except the loony up in Togus."

Teddy who had calmed down some started up again, "I'm gonna kill you! Son of a bitch!"

Milo, "You little foulmouthed whoremaster! You come back here! Come back here! You hear me?!"

The boys had drug Teddy a convenient ways away, his yelling was still heard, but I was alone with Milo. "You fat son of a bitch. You think you own the fucking world, just because you run some shit junkyard? Spreading stories of how your dog was trained to sic balls," I laughed, "Bullshit. If that dog had half a mind it'd turn on you. The only problem would be the fact that even on your fatass he wouldn't be able to find any. You're just a fucking ball-less loser, living in the middle of nowhere because the rest of society finds you to be disgusting. God, your pathetic."

I turned around leaving Milo speechless. Noticing the guy's were out of view I took off running. I got into hearing range of them when Chris yelled, "What do you care what a fat old pile of shit like him said about your dad?"

Gordie, "He still stormed the beach at Normandy, right?"

Teddy, "Just forget it."

Vern, "You think that pile of shit was at Normandy."

Teddy started wiping his eyes, "Forget it alright?"

Vern, "He don't know nothing about your old man. He's just dog shit."

Chris, "Whatever is between you and your old man – he can't change that."

I caught up to them and Chris looked at me and I nodded, he smiled. I pulled Teddy so he looked at me, "Hey, you listen to me. No one can rank out your dad. Not me, not your mother, not even fatass Milo, understand? Who cares what anyone thinks, it ain't about that, it's about what you think, and that can never be changed because some fuck called your dad a loony, got that?"

Teddy nodded.

"Good, cause I took care of Milo, he wont be causing anymore trouble," I said when I turned and started walking down the train tracks.

Everyone started following me when Vern started singing, "'Have Gun, Will Travel' reads the card of a man. A knight without armor in a savage land..." He faded off when no one started singing with him.

Teddy, "I'm sorry if I'm spoiling everybody's good time."

Chris, "It's okay, man. It's okay."

Gordie, "I'm not sure it _should_ be a good time."

Chris, "You saying you wanna go back?"

Gordie, "No. But goin' to see a dead kid – maybe it shouldn't be a party."

Vern, "Yeah. Like if he's really bad, like all cut up and blood and shit all over him. I might have nightmares."

Silence filled my ears, soon dogs barking and flashlight's were being flicked around everywhere. They were looking for what I just found, my sister. She'd been murdered in the woods near her college campus. Scratches covered her face and arms, and blood soaked her shirt.

I came out of my daydream when Chris put his arm around me, "Hey, Mel, why don't you sing?" he whispered.

"Sometimes the world is a valley of heartaches and tears. And in the hustle and bustle, no sunshine appears. But you and I," I sang while spinning in a circle, "have our love always there to remind us. There is a way we can leave all the shadows behind."

"Volare, oh, oh, cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh. Let's fly way up to the clouds, away from the madd'ning crowds. Let us sing in the glow of a star that I know of. Where lovers enjoy peace of mind. Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind. Just like a birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find!"

"Volare, oh, oh, cantare, oh, oh , oh, oh. No wonder my happy heart sings, your love has given me wings." I quieted my voice down a bit, "No...wonder my happy heart sings. Your love has given me wings..."

I laughed at the end, and we continued to walk in silence. Teddy and Vern were up front dancing and singing to the lollipop tune, while Chris, Gordie and I lagged back. Chris, "Hey, I got some Winstons. Hawked 'em off my old man's dresser. One apiece for after supper."

Gordie, "Yeah, that's cool."

Chris, "Yeah. That's when a cigarette tastes best – after supper."

Gordie, "Right." he paused and stopped, "Do you think I'm weird?"

Chris smiled, "Definitely."

Gordie, "No man, seriously. Am I weird?"

Chris, "Yeah, but so what? Everybody's weird." They started walking again when Chris asked, "You ready for school?"

Gordie, "No."

Chris, "Junior High. You know what that means. By next June we'll all be split-up."

Gordie stopped again, "What're you talking about? Why would that happen?"

I dropped back, the conversation was between the two of them but their words still reached my ears. Chris, "It's not gonna be like grammar school, that's why." He paused, "You'll be taking your college courses and me, Mel, Teddy and Vern will all be in the shop courses with the rest of the retards makin' ashtrays 'n' birdhouses." With sadness in his voice Chris continued, "You're gonna meet a lot of new guys – smart guys."

Gordie, "Meet a lot of pussies, is what you mean."

Chris pointed his finger at Gordie, "No man. Don't say that. Don't even think that."

Gordie, "I'm not goin' in with a lot of pussies. Forget it!" He started walking again.

Chris, "Well, then you're an asshole!"

Gordie, "What's _asshole_ about wantin' to be with your friends?!"

Chris, "It's _asshole_ if your friends drag you down! You hang with us you'll just be another wise guy with shit for brains." We walked a bit before Chris said, "You could be a real writer someday, Gordie."

Gordie stopped and looked at Chris, "Fuck writing! I don't wanna be a writer. It's stupid! It's a stupid waste of time!"

"That's your dad talking," Chris,

Gordie, "Bullshit!" turning he started walking again.

Chris, "Bull-true! I know how your dad feels about you. He doesn't give a shit about you. Denny was the one he cared about, and don't try to tell me different!" He paused and softened his tone, "You're just a kid, Gordie."

Gordie, "Oh gee, thanks Dad!" Stopping again.

Chris looked at Gordie, "I wish the hell I was your dad! You wouldn't be goin' around talking about taking these stupid shop courses if I was. It's like God gave you somethin', man. All those stories that you can make up – and he said, "This is what we got for you kid, try not to lose it." But kids lose _everything_ unless there's someone there to look out for them and if your parents are too fucked up to do it, then maybe I should."

Gordie looked at Chris long and hard, "Seriously man, you and Mel hang around each other too much. You two are starting to sound a lot a like."

I pushed myself into the space between the two of them and put my arms on their shoulders, "But that's the fun part, Gordie. Listen to the music!"

I moved in front of them and was walking backwards singing, "Everyday, it's a getting' closer." Grabbing Gordie's hands I had him spin, "Goin' faster than a roller coaster." Grabbing Chris I did the same thing, "Love like yours will surely come my way."

The boys laughed, "Hey, a hey, hey."

I smiled, "Everyday, it's a getting' faster. Everyone says go ahead and ask her, love like yours will surely come my way."

--

Credit needs to be given to the songs;

The song Mel is humming at the very beginning is the beginning of Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris.

The song Mel sings when Chris asks her to after she sees the memory of her sister is called Volare by Dean Martin.

When Mel tells Gordie to listen to the music at the end of the story she starts singing Everyday by Buddy Holly.


	6. Topsiturvey

I stopped singing when we reached Vern and Teddy who were standing in front of a long, narrow railroad bridge. Vern, "Any of you guys know when the next train is due?"

Chris, "We _could_ go down to the Route 136 bridge."

Teddy, "What, are you crazy? That's five miles down the river. You walk five miles down the river, you gotta walk five miles back. That could take 'til dark. If we go across were he can get to the same place in ten minutes."

Vern, "Yeah, but if a train comes there's nowheres to go."

Teddy, "The hell there isn't. You just jump."

"That's a hundred feet, Teddy," I said looking down.

Vern, "Yeah, Teddy."

Teddy, "Look, you guys can go around if you want to. I'm crossing here. And while you guys are dragging you candy-asses halfway across the state and back, I'll be waiting for you on the other side, relaxing with my thoughts."

Gordie, "You use your _left_ hand or your _right_ hand for that?"

Chris and I laughed.

After talking a bit more we decided to go across the bridge. Teddy and Chris went first, then Vern, Gordie and I took up the back. Gordie touched the rail, "Feel anything?" I asked.

He shook his head and we continued walking. Vern finally became to scared and started crawling across. As we got to the middle, Vern slipped and the comb fell from his pocket, he watched as it fell into the river. Sighing he said, "I lost the comb."

Gordie shook his head, "Forget it, Vern."

I looked behind us, and didn't see a train. Gordie bent down and felt the rail again. He looked back, and I looked back again, and we could see the smoke coming from an oncoming train, coming over the treetops, we both shouted, "TRAAAAAAIN!!"

Vern, "Oh shit."

Vern tried to crawl faster, but Gordie and I started yelling at him, "Go, man! Get up! Move it! Get up, Vern, damn it! Get up! Go man!" Vern fell and laid on the tracks huddled together, "Shit! We're gonna die, goddamn it, get up!"

Vern, "We're gonna fall!"

Looking back at the train I yelled, "It isn't gonna matter if we fall! We're going to die either way!"

Gordie and I got him up and started running again. We could hear Teddy and Chris shouting at us. I could feel the heat of the train on the backs of my legs, and when we got close enough to land I pushed Vern and Gordie, to the side. I heard them hit the ground and seconds later I landed hard in the brush that were growing slope of the. After hitting I was sent rolling down the side. As I reached the bottom I landed in the river. Swimming to shore I grabbed a hold of a protruding rock and laid there holding it as the current from the river, tried carrying me away.

I heard Chris yelling, "Mel?"

Groaning I pulled myself out and started working my way back up the side. As I got to the top, Chris came running over to me, and helped me the rest of the way up. I saw Gordie and Vern sitting on the railroad tracks, and Teddy was standing by them. Chris, "Mel, your bleedin again."

My hand went up to my cut, and I looked at it, "It'll have to stop on it's own, I forgot the super glue at home."

Chris laughed, "Yeah, that's why I brought some."

He pulled a bottle out of his back pocket and like an expert he closed the gash. "Thanks."

He nodded, "You hurt anywhere else?"

I laughed, "I hurt everywhere."

Chris laughed and slung his arm over my shoulder, "Yeah well, you think you can make a bit longer, at least until we find a place to camp tonight."

I nodded, "I guess."

Chris helped me over to the others. Gordie and Vern both got up and hugged me. "Wow, Mel, you saved us. I mean if you hadn't have pushed us out of the way, we'd be riding that train."

I looked at Vern, "Next time, Vern, you're walking in the back."

The other's laughed as Vern tried to figure out what I meant. Eventually we found a place to camp at. Chris had me sit down while the others went off and got fire wood. When the fire was going the boys sat down and we started cooking the hamburger on the ends of sticks. Teddy, "Man, that was the all-time train dodge! Too cool! Vern, you were so scared you looked like that fat guy Abbott Costello when he saw the mummy."

Vern, "I _wasn't_ that scared."

We all looked at him, "Vern!"

Vern, "No. Really, I wasn't. Sincerely."

Gordie, "Okay, then you won't mind if we check the seat of you Jockeys for Hershey squirts, will you."

Vern, "Go screw."

"Come on, Vern, quit pretending, you were scared as hell," I said.

Vern frowned, "No I wasn't . . ."

I shook my head.

Chris looked at Vern's hamburger, "Hey, Vern. You better turn yours over."

Vern, "This is the way I like to do it."

Chris, "Fine."

Just then Vern's drooped and fell into the fire, "Aw man! Aw, no man! You got any more, Gordie?"

Gordie laughed, "Sorry, Vern."

Vern, "It's not funny! What am _I_ supposed to eat?!"

Teddy, "Why don't you cook your dick?" he laughed.

Chris, "It'd be a small meal."

Vern, retrieved his hamburger from the fire, "Aha! Screw you guys, I got it! Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!"

After we ate Chris handed out the cigarettes. Vern, "Nothin' like a smoke after a meal."

Teddy, "Yeah. I cherish these moments." Chris, Gordie and I laughed. "What?! What'd I say?"

I stole Chris' cigarette and took a drag, blowing a smoke ring at him, "Hey Gordie? Why don't you tell us a story?"

Gordie, "Aw, I don't know, Mel."

"Oh come on, please?" I said.

Chris, "Yeah, man, we might be able to talk, Mel into singing for us if you tell us a story."

Vern, "Yeah, come on, Gordo. But not one of your horror stories, okay? I don't wanna hear no horror stories. I'm not up for that, man."

Teddy, "Why don't you tell us one about Sgt. Steel and his battling leathernecks."

Gordie, "Well, the one I've been thinkin' about is kind of different. It's about this pie-eating contest, and the main guy of the story is a fat kid that nobody likes, named Davie Hogan."

Vern, "Like Charlie Hogan's brother, if he had one."

Chris, "Good Vern. Go on, Gordie."

Gordie, "Well, this kid he's our age, but he's fat – real fat. He weighs close to 180. but, you know, it's not his fault. It's his glands."

Vern, "Oh, yeah. My cousin's like that. Sincerely. She weighs over 300 pounds. Suppose to be a 'hyboid' gland or something. Well, I don't know about any hyboid glands but what a blimp! No shit. She's looks like a Thanksgiving turkey. And you know, this one time..."

Chris, "Will you shut up, Vern?"

Vern, "Yeah, yeah, right. Go on, Gordie. It's a swell story."

Gordie, "Well, all the kids, instead of calling him Davie, they call him Lard Ass. Lard Ass Hogan. Even his little brother and sister call him Lard Ass. At school they put this sticker on his back that says, **WIDE LOAD **and they rank him out and beat him up whenever they get a chance. But one day he gets an idea – the greatest revenge idea a kid _ever_ had."

Listening to the story, I laid down.

Minutes went on as Gordie continued. Soon he got to the conclusion, "What the audience didn't know was that Lard Ass wasn't really interested in winning. What he wanted was revenge, and right before he was introduced he'd gotten ready for it. Before the mayor introduced him, he stood outside the tent and drank a quart bottle of Castor oil and then he ate a raw egg. Diving into his fifth pie, Lard Ass began to imagine that he wasn't eating pies. He pretended he was eating cow-flops, and rat guts in blueberry sauce. The crowd began chanting, "Lard Ass! Lard Ass!" Slowly a sound started to build in Lard Ass' stomach. A strange and scary sound, like a log truck coming at you a hundred miles-an-hour. Suddenly, Lard Ass opened his mouth, and before Bill Travis knew it he was covered in five pies worth of used blueberries. The women in the audience screamed. Bossman Bob Cormier took one look at Bill Travis and barfed on Principal Wiggins, who barfed on the lumberjack that was sitting next to him. Mayor Grundy barfed on his wife's tits. But when the smell hit the crowd, that's when Lard Ass' plan really started to work. Girlfriends barfed on boyfriends. Kids barfed on their parents. A fat lady barfed in her purse. The Donnelly twins barfed on each other, and the Women's Auxiliary barfed all over the Benevolent Order of Antelopes. And Lard Ass just sat back and enjoyed what he'd created – a complete and total barf – o – rama!"

The boys started cheering, "Yeah!"

Chris, "Oh man, that was the best, just the best!"

Vern, "Yeah."

Teddy, "Then what happened?"

Gordie, "What do you mean?"

Teddy, "I mean, _what happened_?"

Goride, "What do you mean, what happened? That's the end."

Teddy, "How can that be the end? What kind of ending is that? What happened to Lardass?"

Sitting up, "It's the perfect ending. It wasn't meant to tell his life story. It was suppose to tell how Davie got his revenge on the town for being complete dicks to him. It did that, you can't add to perfection, Teddy," I smiled at Gordie, "Great story."

He smiled back, "Thanks, Mel."

Vern, "I like the ending too. The barfing was really good. But there's one thing I didn't understand. Did Lardass have to pay to get in the contest?"

Gordie, "No, Vern. They just let him in."

Vern, "Oh, oh, great! Great story!"

Teddy, "Yeah, it's a great story, Gordie. I just didn't like the ending."

Chris, "Hey Verno, where's the radio? Let's see if we can get some sounds."

Vern handed Chris the radio, "Here."


	7. College Courses

As the music played we talked into the night. Gordie, "Alright, alright. Mickey's a mouse. Donald's a duck. Pluto's a dog. What's Goofy?"

Teddy, "Goofy's a dog. He's definitely a dog."

Chris, "He can't be a dog. He wears a hat and drives a car."

Vern, "God, that's weird. What the hell is Goofy?"

"He's an anthropomorphic dog," I answered.

Chris, "What is with you and long words?"

I laughed, "It's not like I can just go watch TV like the rest of you, so I find other things to do with my spare time, like reading."

Gordie, "Okay, Vern, if you could only have one food for the rest of your life what would it be?"

"If I could only have one food for the rest of my life? That's easy. Pez. Cherry flavored Pez. No question about it."

The boys began talking about TV shows, ones of which I'd never seen. So I occupied myself by singing along with the radio. We never mentioned Ray Brower, but I knew we were all thinking about him. All the boys laid down and were drifting in and out of sleep as they tried to continue on with their conversations.

"Mmm, mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm. Mmm, mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm. Mmm, mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm. Mmm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm," I started humming. Soon their voices quieted down and their slow breathing was the only thing heard. I was still up messing with the fire when the howling started.

The boy's woke up. Chris held his gun tightly in his hand. Vern, "Oh, my God!"

Teddy, "It's that Brower kid! His ghost is out walking in the woods."

Vern started praying.

Gordie got out of his bedroll and went closer to Chris, "What is it, Chris?"

Chris, "Maybe it's coyotes."

Gordie, "It sounds like a woman screaming."

Teddy, "It's not coyotes. It's his ghost."

Vern, "Don't say that."

Teddy got up and started walking away from the campfire, "Teddy, sit down! The fire is probably the only thing keeping them away. They must smell the hamburger we cooked."

Teddy, "I just wanna see! I wanna know what he looks like!"

Suddenly the howl was closer, making Teddy stop in his tracks.

Vern, "Maybe we should stand guard."

Chris, "Yeah. That's a good idea."

Teddy held his hand out, "Give me the gun. I'll take the first watch." We laid down while Teddy sat against a tree, slightly away from the fire, Teddy started talking, "2300 hours, Corporal Teddy Duchamp stands guard. No sign of the enemy. The fort is secure."

Chris shouted from his bedroll, "Shut up, Teddy, and keep your eyes peeled."

Teddy started mimicking the 'Taps' music, "Tuu-tu-tuuuuu, tuu-tu-tuuuuu..."

"Teddy! Cut it out! We're trying to sleep!" I called.

It was quiet for a minute until he started whispering again, "The dogfaces rest easy in the knowledge that Corporal Teddy Duchamp was protecting all that was dear to them."

Chris and I shouted, "Teddy!"

I didn't sleep when Teddy was on guard, nor did I sleep when Vern was. But when Vern went and woke Chris and he went back to sleep, I got up, "You not sleeping, Mel?"

I laughed quietly, "Sleep while, Teddy, who thinks this whole trip is a military operation? Or Vern with a gun, I'll pass thanks."

Chris laughed, "Go get some sleep, I'm keeping guard."

I nodded. He followed me over to the fire I crawled into my bed roll and laid on my stomach which my head resting on my hands. Just then we heard Gordie groan, "Uhmmm. Uhmmm." A few seconds went by, "Uhmmmm. Ahh!" Gordie snapped away.

Chris, "Are you okay?"

Gordie, "Huh?"

"You were dreaming," Chris answered.

I laid there pretending to sleep, this was a conversation between the two of them. Finally Gordie said, "I didn't cry at Denny's funeral." Chris didn't say anything, but I knew he was listening, "I miss him, Chris. I really miss him."

Chris, "I know." He looked a the fire for a second, "Go back to sleep."

Chris got and went and took a seat against a nearby tree, Gordie got up and joined him, "Maybe you could go into the college courses with me."

Chris, "I'm not leaving Mel alone with the retards in the shop class."

Gordie, "She can come too."

Chris, "That'll be the day."

Gordie, "Why not? You're smart enough. Mel is definitely smart enough."

Chris, "They won't let us."

Gordie, "What do you mean?"

Chris, "It's the way people think of our families in this town. It's the way they think of us. Just low-life kids, that are never going to amount to nothing, so why give um a chance."

Gordie, "That's not true."

Chris, "Oh, it _is_. No one even asked us if we took the milk money that time. We jut got a three-day vacation."

Gordie, "_Did_ you take it?"

Chris, "Yeah, we took it. You knew we took it. Teddy knew we took it. Everyone knew we took it. I think even Vern knew it." I could feel him look at me, "But maybe we were sorry, and we tried to give it back."

Gordie, "You tried to give it back?"

Chris, "Maybe, just maybe – and maybe we took it to old lady Simons and told her, and all the money was there. But we still got a three-day vacations because it never showed up. And maybe the next week old lady Simons had this brand new skirt on when she came to school."

Gordie, "Yeah, yeah! It was brown, and had dots on it!"

Chris, "Yeah, so let's just say that Mel an I stole the milk money, but old lady Simons stole it back from us. Just suppose that we told this story. Me - Chris Chambers, kid brother to Eyeball Chambers, and Melody Carson kid sister to Reaper Carson. Do you think that anybody would have believed us?"

Gordie, "No."

Chris, "And do you think that that _bitch_ would have dared to try something like that if it would have been one of them douche bags from up on The View if _they_ had taken the money?"

Gordie, "No way!"

"Hell, no! But with us?!" He stopped, "I'm sure she had her eye on that skirt for a long time. Anyway, she saw her chance and she took it. We were the stupid ones for trying to give it back." I opened my eyes when I heard Chris start crying, "I just never thought – I never thought a teacher ... oh, who gives a fuck anyway?! I just wish... that I could go someplace where nobody knows me, I'd take Mel with me and we'd start over." Chris cried into his arms, "I guess I'm just a pussy, huh?"

I crawled out of my bedroll and went over to them as Gordie said, "No way, man. No way."

I sat by Chris and put my arm around him. Chris fell asleep, with his head resting on my shoulder. When it started getting light out Gordie went and sat on the railroad tracks and started reading his detective magazine. I watched as a deer came out of the woods and saw Gordie look up and watched it like I was. It sniffed the air and then trotted away just as suddenly as it had appeared. The morning freight came about twenty minutes later, Chris lifted his head up off my shoulder. He looked around for a second collecting his barrings and then looked at me, "Don't say sorry. My shoulder was very grateful to be your pillow last night." I got up and started packing up the camp. The other's who had also woken up to hearing the train we're also getting up and packing up their things.


	8. Hard Up

We started walking down the train tracks again when Vern interrupted the silence, "Geeze, why couldn't you guys get some breakfast stuff, like uh, Twinkies and Pez, and Root Beer?"

Gordie laughed, "Sorry, Vern. I guess a more experienced shopper could have gotten more for your seven cents."

I pulled a few candy bars from my pack, "Here, you all have to share them though."

As we continued on to the Royal River the reality of what we were actually doing was starting to sink in. We got to the Royal River, but we were at a dilemma; we could either follow the tracks that curved away from the path of the river, or trudge through the swamp.

Chris, "Gentlemen, the Royal!"

Teddy, "God, the tracks go way out of the way."

I looked down the river and then had my eyes follow the tracks, "If we cut across the field right here we'll be there in an hour."

Vern, "I think we should stick to the tracks."

Teddy, "I saw we go across the field."

Chris, "Gordie?"

Gordie, "Yeah."

Gordie started walking Chris followed behind him, "Let's go."

I started walking when Teddy ran past me, "Take no prisoners!" and he started acting like he was shooting a gun again. We heard Vern yelling at us from the tracks but we ignored him, Teddy was yelling at him to hurry up.

The mud was ankle deep and it stuck to our shoes. Vern who'd been complaining the whole way let loose another one, "I hate this shortcut."

Teddy mimicked Vern, "_I hate this shortcut_!"

Vern fake punched Teddy and Teddy flinched, "Hahaha! You flinched! Two for flinching!" Before Vern could slug Teddy, Teddy slugged Vern twice, "But – _you_ flinched!"

Teddy walked away smirking, "I know. Two for flinching."

Gordie, Chris and I all shook our heads. Just then we got to an area of standing water, Vern, "How are we suppose to get across _this_?"

Teddy, "We use you as a raft."

Vern, "Very funny."

I broke a branch off of a tree and handed it to Chris, "Hey, you know, it's not that deep. We can walk across."

I hung back as the boy confidently stepped into the water, and took their second step and dropped. They all came up quickly spitting out water. Vern, "I told you we should've stuck to the tracks."

Teddy, "Is it me, or are you the world's biggest pussy!"

I was on the bank laughing, with tears rolling down my face. Chris looked back at me, "You think this is funny?"

I nodded as I held my stomach. Next I knew Chris climbed out of the water and threw me in. As I came up for air I yelled, "Christopher!"

He laughed. Teddy and Vern started dunking each other and Chris yelled, "Come on, Teddy, act your age!"

Teddy, "This _is _my age! I'm in the prime of my youth, and I'll only be young once!"

I laughed, "Yeah, but you're going to be stupid for the rest of your life."

Vern, "Haha, rank-out!"

Teddy, "Oh, your dead Carson!" Just then a wave of watch was splashed on Teddy by Chris, "You too Chambers! You just signed your death warrant! You die, Chambers!"

After Chris and Teddy had their round, Teddy went after Vern and Chris came after me, we stopped when we saw Teddy making his way to the other side of the swamp. Chris called out to him, "Hey! Where do you think you're _going_ Lachance."

Gordie kept going, "Come on, you guys."

I swam away, forgotten by Chris as the three boys piled on to Gordie. Vern jumped on to Gordie's back and put him in a sleeper hold, Gordie shouted, "Stop it! I'm serious!" He looked at Vern, "Vern, there's something on your neck!"

Vern, "Yeah, right. I'm not falling for that one, Lachance."

I stopped swimming and looked over at the boys when Chris said, "No, Vern. There _is_ something on your neck."

Teddy looked at it, "It's a leech. Leeches! Jesus Chris, get 'em off!"

By the time I was able to make it to shore the boys were already stripped down and had their leeches off. As I got out Teddy looked at me, "Ain't you going to take those off?"

I could feel the leeches on me, but strip in front of four almost teenage boys? Chris laughed, "Come on, Carson we ain't going to look." He went over to me and whispered in my ear, "If it makes you feel better I'll take the leeches off."

I pulled off my shirt and then my tank top and slid out from my shirts. Chris carefully extracted nearly twenty leeches. Teddy was looking at me like I was an alien, "When the hell did you get those!"

Vern, "Yeah, Mel, those are almost better then Annette's!"

Chris and Gordie started laughing. I grabbed my tank top and threw it on, and then I pulled on my shorts. Just then Gordie looked down, and he looked like he was going to be sick. We followed his eyes and ended up looking at his jockeys. "Oh, Chris." Gordie almost started crying, "Oh shit, Chris. Oh shit, man." Gordie reached his hand down and took the leech off, leaving his hand bloody. I ran over, Gordie had never really been good with his own blood. I got to him and wrapped my arm around his shoulders, and he fainted. His sudden weight almost made me drop him. I sat down bringing Gordie with me, placing his head in my lap I brushed his hair off his face. Chris came over, "Gordie, man, are you okay? Can you hear me? Gordie, are you there?"

Vern, "Maybe he's dead."

Ignoring Vern considering Teddy started with him, I brushed my hand lightly over Gordie's cheek, "Gordie?"

His eyes fluttered, Chris didn't even give him type to get his composure before he asked, "Are you okay"

Gordie nodded when he figured out what Chris said. Chris helped Gordie up and I grabbed his clothes for him, "You do that again, Gordon, I'll get a bunch of leeches on dump them on you."

He gave me a small smile, "I'll just think about what Teddy and Vern said about your..."

I cut him off, "Shut up," I laughed.

Chris, Teddy and Vern sat down away from Gordie and I. Gordie had his back leaning against a tree and my head was resting on his lap. We could hear Chris telling the others he thought we should take Gordie back. We heard Teddy call Chris a pussy. We heard Vern agreeing that he wanted to go back. Vern and Teddy then started yelling at each other just then we heard a commotion I sat up and saw Vern sitting on Teddy punching him. I got up and ran over, pulling Vern off Teddy. Teddy got up and started after Vern, but I stood between them, not such a good idea when Teddy wanted to kill Vern and Chris couldn't get a hold of Vern. The two came at each other again, I caught a fist below my eye and then a fist went to my jaw. I still stayed between the two, their arms swinging wildly trying to get past me and hit the other.

Gordie finally yelled, "Stop it!!" which made them stop. Chris came over and moved me, I turned and looked at Vern and Teddy, "What the hell is your guy's problem! You're friends, do you understand that? Sure, friends have disagreements but you don't go after the other like your wanting to kill. Think about it because the next time I'm not stepping in the way."

I turned around an spit the blood that had gathered in my mouth. We picked our stuff up and started again, about thirty or so minutes later we came to a clearing in the woods. Chris, "Coming through the woods, I bet we saved over an hour."

Gordie looked down the clearing, "Teddy?"

Teddy, "Yeah?"

Gordie, "Is this the Back Harlow Road?"

Teddy, "Yeah."

Chris, "That Brower kid must be around her someplace. Mel, you, Vern and Teddy watch the left side of the tracks and we'll take the right."

We nodded and started walking. I was ahead of Vern and Teddy and somehow I didn't feel lucky. I stopped when I saw a shoe less foot coming out from under a bush. My mind was flashing between memory and now. My dead sister, to Ray Brower, there didn't seem to be an end until Vern caught up to me, "There he is! I see him! Look! Mel found him!"

The boys came rushing over, Chris, "Jesus."

I stayed up at the top not wanting to get closer as the boys started down the bank. Chris, "Let's look for some branches. We'll build him a stretcher."

I saw Gordie sit down next to the boy, Chris looked at him with concern, "Gordie?"

Gordie, "Why did you have to die?"

Vern, "What's the matter with Gordie?"

Chris, "Nothing. Why don't you guys just go over there and look for some branches, okay?"

Teddy nodded and they left. Gordie, "Why did he have to die, Chris? Why did Denny have to die? Why?"

Chris, "I don't know."

Pulling myself together I went and sat on the other side of Gordie.

Gordie, "It should have been me."

Chris, "Don't say that."

Gordie, "It should have been me."

Chris, "Don't say that, man!"

Gordie, "I'm no good. My dad said it, I'm not good."

Gordie tried holding in his tears as I wrapped my arm around Gordie, "He doesn't know you."

Gordie, "He hates me."

Chris, "He doesn't hate you."

Gordie started fully crying, "He hates me!"

Chris, "No! He just doesn't know you."

"You deserve better than your dad, Gordie."

Gordie cried harder, "He hates me. My dad hates me, he hates me, I'm no good."

I unwrapped my arm, and Chris replaced his and I knelt in front of Gordie, "Listen to me, don't you ever say your no good. Ever. You diverse so much more than what you have now, Gordie, and when you get older, your going to have so much, that you aren't going to know what to do with it."

Chris added in, "Yeah, man. You're gonna be a great writer someday. You might even write about us guys, if you ever get hard up for material."

Gordie cried a bit more before he pulled himself together, "Guess I'd have to be really hard up, huh."

I smiled, "As hard up as possible."


	9. Journey Ending

"What the fuck do you know about _this_?"

I looked up and the boys turned around to see Ace standing there. Eyeball and and Reaper were behind him, they bother cussed and yelled, "Son of a bitch! My little brother/sister!"

Ace, "You wasn't plannin' on takin' the body from us, was you, boys?"

Chris, "Get away man. We found him – we got dibs."

Ace, "Aw, we better start runnin' Eyeball, Reaper, they got dibs!"

Chris, "We earned him, man. You guys came in a car. That's not fair. He's ours!"

Eyeball mimicked his brother, "_That's not fair. He's ours. _Well, not anymore."

Teddy showed up, "There's five of us, Eyeball. You just make your move."

Ace, "Oh, we will. Don't you worry."

Billy, Charlie and the other Cobras arrived behind Ace, Eyeball and Reaper. Bill saw Vern and Charlie yelled, "Vern! You little sonofawhore! You was under the porch!"

Vern, "No, no I swear, it wasn't me!"

Billy, "You little keyhole-peepin' bung-wipe. I oughta beat the livin' shit outta you!"

Billy started taking his belt off, "Like hell your gonna touch him, Billy." I said evenly.

Billy turned his direction to me, but Ace stopped him and I heard Vern run off.

Ace, "Now, you guys have two choices. You either leave quietly and we take the body, or you stay, and we beat the shit out of you – and we take the body."

Charlie, "Besides, me 'n' Billy found him first."

Teddy, "Yeah, Vern told us how you found him." He started mimicking Charlie, "_Oh, Billy! I wish we never boosted that car! Oh, Billy! I think I just turned my Fruit of the Looms into a fudge factory!_"

Charlie, "That's it! Your ass is grass!"

Ace, "Hold it. Okay, Chambers, you little faggot! This is your last chance What do you say, kid?"

Chris "Why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more."

Ace took out his switchblade and opened it and started advancing towards Chris, "You're dead."

I stepped in front of Chris. Teddy yelled, "Come on, Chris, Mel. Let's split."

Chris, "They're not takin' him."

"Come on, Ace, I can hear your mamma screaming your name now. Now tell me, does your dad watch? Or maybe he fucks you from behind while you go down on your mom."

Eyeball looked afraid at what Ace might do, my brother had a smirk on his face, about what I didn't know.

As Ace kept coming his eyes set on me, "You're not takin him Ace, you'll have to kill me first."

He rushed me, "No problem." The knife was brought to the skin between my neck and collar bone, and he started following it around. Just then we heard the gunshot.

Ace pulled away, blood dripping from his knife. My hand went to my neck, blood was running down, staining my shirt. Gordie, "You're _not_ taking him! And your not killing her!" He pointed the gun at Ace, "_Nobody_ is taking him."

Ace, "Come on, Kid. Just give me the gun before you take your food off." He paused and looked at Gordie sizing him up, "You ain't got the _sack_ to shoot a woodchuck."

Gordie, "Don't move, Ace. I'll kill you, I swear to God."

Ace, "Come on Lachance, gimme the gun. You must have at least _some_ of your brother's good sense."

Gordie cocked the gun and aimed it at Ace's face, "Suck my fat one, you cheap dime-store hood."

Ace, "What are you gonna do – shoot us all?"

Gordie, "No, Ace. Just you."

Ace paused, and started backing away, "We're gonna get you for this."

Chris, "Maybe you will and maybe you won't."

Ace, "Oh, we _will._ We're not gonna forget this, if that's what you're thinking. This is _big-time, _baby."

I glared at Ace, "We'll be waiting."

When Ace and his gang finally left we turned to Ray Brower once again. Chris looked at Gordie, "_Suck my fat one_?' - Who ever told you you had a fat one, Lachance?"

Gordie, "Mel told me."

I laughed, "Yeah, biggest one in four counties."

Chris laughed, "Yeah."

Just then Vern and Teddy came back. Vern, "Are we gonna take him?"

Gordie, "No."

Teddy, "But, we came all this way. We were suppose to be heroes."

Gordie, "Not this way, Teddy. Chris, gimme a hand."

The boys covered Ray Brower with a blanket. When Chris looked up he noticed my white, turning red shirt. "He got you!"

The boys turned and looked at me, "Don't worry about it, it's just a scratch."

Chris came over, "No scratch makes that much blood," he gently moved my hand away, and noticed the four inch gash that started from the top of my collar bone and followed it to the little indent in your throat. "Your lucky he got jumped on the last part, if he'd had been cutting as deep as he was. he would have killed you."

I shrugged and pulled my shirt off and held it to my throat, "We all die at one point, and nothing can stop it."

Chris pulled the shirt away and he took the super glue from his back pocket, quickly and effortlessly he apply a line and closed the cut. "It'll hold tell you can get your mom to do something with it."

On our way back we'd decided that we'd make an anonymous phone call when we got back to town, to tell them where Ray Brower's body was. By the time the second night rolled by I was tired, but we didn't want to stop, so we walked through the night and made it hope a little past five o'clock on Sunday morning, the day before Labor day. We'd only been gone two days but the town seemed smaller.

We entered town and stopped in the street where we'd all eventually go our own ways. Vern, "Well, see you in school."

Chris nodded, "Yeah."

Teddy, "See ya in Junior High."

Gordie, "Yeah."

Vern looked at me, "Are you still mad at me?"

I smiled, "No Vern it's okay."

He nodded and walked away, he stopped and bent down to pick something up and then he shouted, "Penny!"

We all shook our heads. Teddy, "Well, guys – I better get home before my mom puts me on the Ten Most Wanted list." Teddy started walking away, but then stopped and turned around, "Hey, Chris. No hard feelings okay?"

Chris, "No way, man."

He then looked at me, "Mel?"

"Never."

Teddy turned and started walking again, "Have Gun, Will Travel' reads the card of a man. A knight with out armor in a savage land. His fast gun for hire..."

His voice faded away as he got further along.

The last of us climbed up to the tree house and were standing looking out at Castle Rock. Chris sadly said, "I'm never gonna get out of this town, am I, Gordie?"

Gordie, "You can do anything you want, man."

I nodded, "Plus, I'm taking you all over the world with me remember?"

Chris, "Yeah, sure." Chris held his hand out, "Gimme some skin."

Gordie did so, "I'll see you."

Chris, "Not if I see you first."

"Come on, Chris. I wanna get home, I haven't slept in two days and Sarah and James are probably freaking out."

I turned and said bye to Gordie and Chris and I took off racing towards my house. We split up when we got to our separate roads, deciding that we'd meet at the tree house at noon.


	10. The Beating

As I got further down I noticed my dads pick up and my moms car were both in the drive way. "No," fear radiated from my body. I took off running inside, hearing my dad yelling about something my mom didn't do. He turned when he heard me come in, "Where the fuck have you been!"

"I went camping and then to the drags."

A hard punch sent me into the wall, "You left your mother to look after the god damn kids!"

I got up holding my head, "They're not mine to look after! Maybe if you spent more time here then at the bar mom wouldn't be stuck having to look after the kids!"

I don't know why I said it, maybe I was still all jazzed up from the fight with Ace, or the fact that I hadn't slept in two days finally was taken it's tole and I was thinking right, either way, dad didn't like it. Dad kicked, and punched me for what felt like forever, finally after the pain kicked in I was knocked unconscious. I knew in the back of my mind, he was still beating me though.

I woke up the next morning, with the sun shining in through the window. My body was sore and it hurt to move, and I was laying in a wet spot, which I assumed to be blood. Luckily dad had thrown me in the kitchen before he left. My right eye was swollen shut, I could feel my nose was broken, and I assumed a few of my fingers were dislocated, along with my right shoulder. Using my left arm I pulled myself far enough to the wall so I could sit up and lean my back into it. My left knee was swollen and was covered in a dark bruise. The same was on my right ankle. Bruises covered my body, and I could feel my broken ribs.

Pushing past the pain, I started pulling myself towards the stairs and up them, I was blacking out every so often, but I finally managed to make it to the top. Sliding down the hall to the bathroom, I got under the sink and pushed the first aid box onto the counter. Using the toilet to help get to my knees, keeping off my left one, I pulled myself up as fast as I could and slid onto the counter. Opening the medicine cabinet I looked at myself in the mirror, tears almost escaped my eyes when I saw my face. Looking at my hands, five fingers were dislocated. Grimacing I popped each one back, after the pain wore off I used my left hand to wash off as much blood off my face and neck as I could. Taking a deep breath, I popped my nose back into place too, after the bleeding stopped I opened the first aid box and took out the surgical scissors mom had taken from her job, and cut my shirt and tank top off. Looking at my stomach in the mirror it was unnoticeable, black bruises covered the skin. Pulling out some tape, and ace bandages, I put a piece of tape half on and half off one of the ends of the ace bandages and used my left hand to tape it onto my ribs. Wrapping the bandage tight enough around so it could set my ribs enough to heal.

Sliding back off the counter and on to the floor, I pulled myself to my room, and onto my bed. As I laid there, I drifted to sleep. Hours passed until I jolted awake from someone sitting down on my bed, tears sprang to my eyes from the pain, blinking them away I noticed who sat down, "Samuel! What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I came home, and I saw the blood. I see dad got you good last night huh?"

I nodded, "I guess. Nothing I can't take care of."

"You look like shit, Mel," he said with out taking his eyes off of me.

"Yeah? I feel like shit."

He sighed, but didn't say anything for a bit, "Here, I got you Gordie's hat back from Eyeball." he set Gordie's Yankee cap down.

Before he left I asked, "Sam?" He turned back to me, "My...my right shoulder is dislocated and ... I can't put it in myself."

He nodded and came back over, but before he sat down he grabbed a pair of socks from the dresser next to my bed, "Here bit on this."

Doing as he said, he helped me sit up and I braced myself for the oncoming pain. It arrived shortly after, when Samuel popped it back in place. My body tightened up, and I let out a half scream half groan. Pulling me into a hug Samuel wrapped his arms around me, "Shhhh, it's okay," he comforted me. When I quieted down, he looked me over to get a better understanding of my injuries. Then he finally pushed me back into my pillow, "Hey, I'm going to go downstairs and clean the kitchen okay?"

I nodded while Samuel left. Half an hour later Sam came back in, "The kitchens clean, I don't know if I did it the way ma wants it so you'll have to check it tomorrow. You should be safe tonight though, I saw her at the Blue Point Diner with Sarah and James, and she said she was going to get a room tonight, so she didn't have to deal with dad tonight if he came home."

"Thanks," I gave him my best smile.

He smiled back, "Don't get all mushy on me. Just cause I helped you today doesn't mean if you get into any scrapes with the Cobra's I'm gonna help you out."

I choked out a laugh, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Get some sleep, I'll be home tonight to check up on you."

I nodded and closed me eyes, drifting back to sleep. Darkness was what I woke up to, darkness and silence. I glanced at the clock sitting on my desk and sighed, it was little after 8, and I couldn't hear the TV downstairs meaning dad wasn't coming home tonight.

Twisting slightly so my head rested on my left arm, and I fell back asleep. I was slowly brought back to consciousness by someone stroking my hair. My left eyes opened and I rolled over so I could see who was sitting by me and I smiled when I saw Samuel, "You came back."

Sam laughed, "I told you I was going to. Now here sit up, I made you some soup."

With his help I sat up, "I didn't actually think you would."

"Yeah well I guess I'm not getting the Brother of the Year Award this year, huh?" he said kinda laughing.

"There's hope for you yet," I replied.

We didn't talk the rest of the time I ate my soup, we just had an awkward yet satisfying silence. When I was done, Sam set my bowl on my dresser top, "I should have given you ice packs before I left this morning. Maybe if I had, some of your swelling might have gone down. Is your right eye still fully closed?" I nodded, "Do you hurt anywhere?"

I laughed, "My right eye, and my nose is giving me a headache, my right shoulder feels like a balloon, my fingers feel like I stuck oranges on them, my ribs don't feel too sharp, my knee and ankle remind me of the time I knocked over the blue and black paint on moms rug, how's that for how I feel?"

"Yeah smart ass, I'll go get some ice packs." A few minutes later, Sam came back into my room, with his arms filled, he was carrying six ice packs, and two 'body bags', or at least that's what Chris and I jokingly called them. Placing one body bag on my back midsection and the setting the other one on top, he then put a ice pack on my ankle, knee, on one each hand, one on my right shoulder and he handed me the last one so I could place it over my eye and nose. When he was done he started laughing, "You could almost play the abominable snowman."

"Shut up," I growled.

"You'll be fine by yourself? I gotta go hang with the guys, and I don't think I'm coming home tonight."

I nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

He surprised me when he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

When Samuel left I laid in darkness, the house was quiet and I could do anything about it. I wished Chris would show up, we'd decided to meet a the tree house at noon today and I would have figured he'd be here by now wondering what happened. Placing the ice pack so it sat on my face, I fell into a uncomfortable asleep, but was woken up a few minutes later by a knock on my window.

--

I know that in the movie Ace throws away Gordie's Yankee's cap is thrown away but in this story, Eyeball keeps it, which is when Reaper steals it from him.


	11. To The Lake

"It's open," I called it was slightly muffled as it came from under the ice pack.

The window slid open and I heard someone climb in, "Hey, Mel, you sick or something?"

"Hey Gordie."

Another person crawled in, "Yeah Mel, I thought we were meeting today at the tree house, what happened?"

"No, I'm not sick. I just got a little caught up, it's not big deal," I answered.

Chris walked over and turned the light on. I heard Gordie draw in his breath, Chris turned around and concern swept across his face, "Jesus Christ, Mel!"

I took the ice pack off my face and sat up the best I could, "It's not as bad as it seems. I took care of everything."

Chris came and sat on my bed, "You look like a train hit you."

I laughed, "Yeah well, the train that hit me musta been huge."

Gordie, "How, how can you make this seem like it's a joke?"

I turned to him, and I saw the hurt in his eyes, "Gordie, it's not that I'm trying to make it seem like a joke, I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

He nodded slightly, "I gotta get home, my parents were kind of mad I was gone two nights when I said I would only be gone one." He came over and I hugged him, "You staying here, Chris?" He nodded. "I'll see you two around."

Chris looked at me and I looked at him, "Not if we see you first."

Gordie chuckled, "Oh Gordie!" He turned to look at me, "Samuel brought back your hat, he got it from Eyeball it's sitting on my dresser."

Gordie's eyes lit up as he saw the hat, "Thanks, Mel!" He was smiling still when he crawled out the window, he waved by as he shut it behind him.

"Geeze, Mel, I'm so sorry I didn't come by sooner. I...I" Chris started right after Gordie left.

"It's fine, really. If you would have come by sooner you would have felt the need to stay here, and I didn't want you to feel like you had to stay here. I can handle myself you know," I said.

He nodded, "I know. It just scared me you know? I thought maybe a black eye or something you know, but when I turned the light on and I saw..." a tear escaped his dark green eyes, "I wouldn't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

I grabbed Chris hand, "Hey," I used my other hand to wipe away the tear, he placed his hand on mine stopping it from leaving his cheek, "Nothing will happen to me, I'll always be here for you." He nodded, and I pulled him into a hug. "It'll be okay. Promise."

Chris and I eventually fell asleep, my head rested on his chest, and his arms were wrapped around me protectively. We woke up the next morning, with the birds singing outside my window, the sun mixed with the bedroom light, making it brighter then normal, and I squinted what little of my left eye was open. The swelling from the broken nose had finally kicked in, I pulled away slightly from Chris and looked up at his face, slowly his eyes flicked open "Morning," he said.

"Morning," I smiled.

Suddenly Chris jumped up off the bed, "Come on, lets go to the lake or something, I don't want to feel bad because I left you alone."

I shook my head, "I don't know."

"Come on, Mel, you really don't want to stay in bed all day do you? We can go to the lake, and I'll go get a Banana Split and we'll just stay up there and do nothing," he persuaded.

"I look horrible, and I can't walk," I argued.

He started going through my dresser pulling out a clean shirt, undergarments, and shorts, "I'll carry you, come on, I'm sure Gordie's going to tell them something, and Vern and Teddy will be worrying. And we only have two weeks until we go back to school, we have to hang out as much as possible!"

He came over and picked me up bridal style, "Chris!" I laughed. He carried me into the bathroom and set me on the toilet seat and he turned on the water.

Chris handed me a towel, "When I leave get undressed and put this on. When your done call me and I'll put you in the shower."

I nodded reluctantly, sure Chris has seen me shower before but this was just weird. When the door shut I unwrapped my midsection and frowned at the bruises, and then I finished taking my clothes off, and wrapped the towel around myself, "Okay!" I called.

Chris came in and picked me up, and set me in the shower, I laughed when he miscalculated where the water was and he got soaked, "You think this is funny?" His fake anger made me laugh even more.

He got up, twisted the hot water off and turned the cold on and moved the water head so the water came cascading down on me, "Chris! It's cold!"

Chris fell on the bathroom floor laughing, while I sat helpless as the cold water fell on me. When he calmed down enough he turned the water off, "Sorry Mel, I couldn't help it."

"Oh yeah, sure like the great God himself commanded you to put your crippled friend in a shower so cold water could descend upon her."

Chris nodded, "That's exactly what happened." Then he got all serious, "Wait, how'd you know? Did he speak to you too!?"

I laughed, "Shut up, just get me out of here."

"You don't want a shower?" he questioned.

I shook my head, "Not after that, and anyway we're going to the lake, you know me I always shower after the lake. So there is no point in showering before, when I'm just going to shower afterwards."

"You could have told me that, before I had to carry you to the shower. Just think if you had told me sooner God wouldn't have told me to put you in the shower," he laughed.

I smacked him in the arm, "God your an ass." Chris laughed, at the un-intended pun, "Just, get me out, please," I asked. He sighed like having to pick me up was the biggest hassle he's ever had to do. Chris set me on my bed and started to leave, "Hey Chris, there's an ankle brace, and a knee brace downstairs in the linen closet, would you mind getting them for me?"

Chris nodded and left. I hurried to get dressed, which wasn't extremely easy, considering I couldn't bend my left knee, or move my midsection as much as I would have liked to. But somehow by a miracle I was able to dress myself before Chris came back in. Taking the braces Chris brought up and put them on as tightly as I dared.

I slid my feet off my bed and stood up with help from Chris, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah, it hurts a bit but the braces help so it's okay. Now let's go, it's only getting darker."

As we got to the stairs Chris picked me up and carried me down, "Well if I'd know all I had to do was get a little hurt and you'd carry me around everywhere, I would have done it a long time ago."

He set me down on the ground, "If you would have done this yourself I would have pushed you down the stairs." I gapped at him, "I'm just kidding, I would have left you in the shower, with the water running." He laughed taking off out the front door.

"You're running now, but just wait tell I'm better," I grumbled under my breath, watching him run down the road. I slid on a pair of sandals and started my long walk to the lake.


	12. Oh My God

Okay so I just spent like the last hour or so re-typing this. I'm stuck with a computer that gets internet but has restrictions so I couldn't transfer my Chapter 12 file from my computer to this one, and my computer can't connect to the internet at the moment so I chose to retype it. So I'm sorry if there are a few uncapitalized letters and some miss-spellings. Lol the more reviews I get the faster the updates are. :)

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The lake really wasn't that far, maybe 2 to 3 miles south of Chris' and mines houses. Even though it took a little less than an hour and a half, it was still a long walk considering I would have been there in half the time if I was able to run.

I never saw Chris on my walk over, I figured after he took off, he'd have turned around, admit his fault and walk with me to the lake, but apparently that wasn't the case, "He better be getting a Banana Split or trying to round up the guys or something."

When the lake came into view it was amazing how stil the water was and how it reflected the images just as perfectly as a mirror would have. Heading out to the pier I sat down and took my ankle brace off and stuck my feet into the water. Laying back i shut my eyes and began to sing quietly.

"Grains of sand slip through my hands, never ceasing times,I fold my hands in silent prayer, enternal peace I pray you'll find. Like two rivers flow to the open sea, someday we'll reunite for all enternity." A single tear escaped my eyes and fell into my hair, as I pictured my sister laughing just days before she left. She was wearing her facorite white dress, and we'd ran down to the lake one last imte. The water was perfectly still as we watched the sunset reflecing in it's surface. Her voice ringing in my ears, "Sometimes the world is a valley of heardaches and tears. And in the hustle and bustle, no sunshine appears. But you and I have our love always there to remind us. there is a way we can leave all the shadows behind..."

"There she is!" I heard Teddy yell drawing me from my thoughts.

Sitting up I turned slightly to see all four boys walking towards me, "Geeze Mel, with you laying down like that we couldn't see you," Vern said.

I noticed their stares, but I knew Chris had probably threatened them to not saying anything about my injuries, but just because they weren't saying anything, doesn't mean their eyes didn't explain everything.

I took my eyes off Teddy and Vern and looked up at Chris glaring, "You left me."

Chris gave his smirky grin, "I left to get a Banana Split."

He held out the bowl he was carrying and just as he said, a Banana Split was waiting inside, "You're still a jerk."

I took a spoon from him and he sat down, we both started eating it. Vern, Teddy and Gordie laughed and started stripping into their skivvies and jumped into the water. I laughes as I watched the three of them playing in the water. As I finished the last bite Chris set the bowl behind us. Teddy turned to us, "Come on you two!"

I shook my head, "I can't."

Chris pulled off his shirt, "Come on Mel, there's only one way your going to be able to get your knee and ankle better. That's by using them."

"Yeah, in moderation," I stated.

Chris laughed as he stood up and pulled off his shoes, socks and pants, "You're going to tell me, that after your LONG walk here, and that amazing Banana Split, you don't want to go swimming?"

I glared, "I didn't say that..."

"Then get out of those clothes and come on," Chris interrupted.

"I can't bend my knee, I'll sink," I argued.

Gordie, "Then float, you don't have to have to do much to do that."

Teddy, "Or Vern could float and you could lay on him!"

"Funny, Teddy," Vern said.

I laughed, "It's cool, I'm perfectly fine sitting here, watching you all act like fools."

Chris came running by and cannon balled into the lake, causing a wave to come up and splash me, "Chris! I'm all wet now," I shrieked.

He came up laughing, and swam over to me, "All the more reason to get in the water. You're already wet, you might as well swim." He reached up and pulled my arm causing me to tumble in.

"Oh you ass!" I screamed when I came back to the top. The boys all started laughing. Ignoring them I pulled myself back onto the pier. Peeling off my knee brace I tossed it onto the pier and laid back down.

"Mel, I didn't mean anything by it," Chris called.

"I can't swim, I wish I could, but I can't," I said without getting up. The boys began goofing off for another few hours until they started to get unrecognizably pruney and decided to get out.

Before Teddy was even out of the water he was annoyed, "Come on, lets go do something.

Gordie, "Like what?"

Vern, "We could go to my house. My mom will be making lunch soon."

The boys all nodded their heads licking their lips in anticipation. I was the only one that shook my head, "I have to get home, ma's suppose to come home tonight, and I haven't seen Sarah and James sense before Harlow."

Vern, "Please, Me. My mom hasn't seen you in forever. She's starting to think you don't like her."

I smiled, "You tell your mom that she is one of the greatest people I've met, I'd be crazy not to like her. And that I'll be over next time, promise."

Sticking the soggy brace back on my knee and the other one on my ankle I got up, "I'll see you guys."

They nodded, Chris and Gordie smiled, "Not if we see you first."

I smiled and started walking, turning around as I got to the top of the hill I looked back at the boys and watched them laughing, "Life sure moves fast." Nodding a5t my own statement I headed back to my house. When I arrived the sun had reached it's maximum high point in the sky and my mother wasn't back yet, but my father's pick up was parked out front. I stated to head to the back so I could climb into my room, but rejected the idea when I thought of climbing a tree in my condition. Taking a breath I stepped into the house. It already reeked of alcohol and smoke. Sighing in relief and letting out a small thank you when I found my father passed out on the couch, clutching a half empty beer bottle. The relief turned to disgust as it sank in, here it was barely noon and he was already passed past the living room I went upstairsto my room and locked the door. Slumping onto my bed Itook off my bracesagain, and rubbed my knee. "God, please let me be healedenough when school starts," I prayed.

A car door slammed and then two more followed, laughterwas faintly heard from my back door was pushed open and running feet came in. I closed my eyes tightly and gripped my bed_, shut up, youneed to be quiet he's here_!I thought, but my mouth wasn't able to speak. Glass broke anda stream of curses reached my ears_, he's _up. James and Sarah's screamswere heard, followed by my mothers. Standing upI ignored the pain as it tried protesting. Unlockingand opening the door i went to Samuel's room and grabbed one of his old wooden baseballbats. Their screams were heard again,Sarah's cries echoed. Using the bat as a cane, I stepped down the stairs. The doorway into the living room showed my father standing over ma. Sarah and James were curled into a corner tears streaming down their faces, "Shut up! Quit crying!" my father yelled at the two.

They didn't, he hit my mother one last time and she landed unmoving as he advanced towards them. Instinct took over andI tookoff after him, the bat raised. He bent down to pick James up andIbrought the bat down onto his back, itbroke on impact. Growling my dad turnedaround, and back handed me.I landed onto the coffee table, causing it to smash. Dad started after me, I fumbled around and wrapped my hand around an empty beer bottle, and threw it at him, it shattered when it hit him. "Run! Sarah! James! Get out of here!" I yelled as I threw another bottle. I saw James grab Sarah's hand and run. Ma still laid on the floor unmoving.

Sliding backwards I slowly made my way into the kitchen. Using the drawers and counter to pull myself up I slightly froze when dad walked in, his eyes furious. His cheek was bleeding from on of the bottles. Pulling myself together I started searchign through the drawers trying to find something to use. As I picked up a cook's knife dad reached me and threw me backwards into the refrigerator, the knife went flying form my hand. Crawling across the floor using my arms to pull me, I reached for the knife, just as a hard kick to my ribs sent me curled into a ball. I heard the blade slide agaisnt the floor as he picked it up, "Think you were going to use this?"

He came after me brandishing the blade, I threw my arms up and caught his wrist. Even against all my will the blade slowly started getting closer. His face faded from my view and my sister's replaced it, "This is not how it ends for you. You don't die here. Fight Mel, fight..." she said as she too faded out. Chris' smiling face replaced hers and my voice, "Nothing will happen to me. I'll always be here for you. It'll be okay, I promise..." Gordie, Vern, Samuel, Teddy, Sarah, James and even pictures of my mother ran through my head like a slide show stuck on fast-forward.

Digging my nails dee into his wrist he cried out in pain and dropped the knife. Giving one hard shove I pushed him off me. Grabbing the knife I brought it up, just as he came back after me, he ran straight into the knife. Blood began seeping through his clothes, and dripping to the floor. My hands were soon covered in a crimson layer. Dad's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. I pulled away and his hands replaced where mine had been.

He fell to his knees and then landed face forward, pushing the knife deeper into him. I pushed myself up against the cabinets and pulled my knees to my chest. A blood pool began appearing from under his body. The front door flew open and Samuel, Chris, Gordie, Vern, Teddy, Eyeball and a few other Cobra's came running in.

Samuel, "Mel!" I didn't answer, he came into the kitchen and saw dad, "Oh my god."

The boys all stopped and stood in the doorway. Chris was the first to recover and he stepped around my father and went over to me, "Mel? What happened?"

Keeping my eyes on my father I answered, "He ran into the knife."

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Songs;

The first song when Mel islayingon the pieris called Two Rivers by Avril Lavigne. I altered it a bit so it fit better into the story.

The second song Mel hears her sister singing is again called Volare by Dean Martin, it was also used in Chapter Five - Topsiturvey


	13. Trials

The police arrived about two hours later, I had yet to move. "Miss.? Miss.? Can you tell me your name?" one of the police officers asked.

I watched as the coroners removed my fathers body, and didn't look up at the police officer until I heard the doors shut on the ambulance to take him away. He was knew to the force, his face was still smooth and didn't have the worry lines most police men. He didn't have the coldness they walked around with either. Plus, he was treating me as if I were human and not scum of the earth, so I knew he was a new transfer. "Melody," I said.

"Excuse me?" he questioned.

"My name is Melody."

"Well Melody, I'm going to ask you a few questions alright? And all I need you to do is answer them as truthfully as you can, can you do that for me?" the police man asked. I nodded. He half way smiled, and pulled a little notebook from his pocket, "What happened?"

"I got home from the lake, and he was here. So I snuck in and he was passed out on the couch..."

"When was this?"

"Noonish."

"Okay, continued."

"I snuck past him and went up to my room and locked the door....." I started. The officer butted in every so often to ask a question or to have me give more detail on a subject here and there.

When I finished my story he sighed and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. "I'm going to have to ask you to stand up and put your hands behind your back," he said almost sad like.

Without question I stood up and did as he said, a shiver ran down my spine when I heard the clinking of the cuff tightening around my wrists. He took a hold of my upper arm and led me outside. Samuels voice cut through the crowd that had gathered around, "Where the hell are you taking her! You can't arrest her, it was self defense!"

I glanced at him behind held back by two police men, a group held back the rest of the Cobras and three stood by glancing wearily at Chris, Teddy, Vern and Gordie wondering if they were going to try and get to me too. Looking at Chris nearly killed me, every step I took seemed to cause his face to contort in more sadness. I couldn't even look at the rest of the boys, their faces would only cause me deeper pain. I was placed into the back of a police car and the police officer who'd taken my statement and escorted me there got into the driver seat and took off. "I hear your mother is doing well. She had a minor cuts and bruises but she'll live."

I didn't say anything my face was set looking out the window. When we arrived in front of Castle Rock's police station a line of officers stood outside. All of them were glaring at me and whispered insults reached my ears. "We aren't really suppose to house juveniles but we're trying to make the best of it as we can. So you'll be having a cell to yourself. I believe your court date is going to be with in the next few days considering the circumstances, the court wants you where they are properly equipped to handle juveniles under your circumstances." he paused for a second, "You will be required to stay here though, until the trial is over and the judge has made his decision."

I nodded my body was numb as he shut the cell doors behind him. I wasn't allowed to have visitors not even family members were allowed to see me. I'd had my picture taken and put into their records and then they photographed my injuries so they could present them at the trial. The trial started four days after Labor day at exactly 8:15 AM. Samuel and Eyeball were sitting in the benchs when I was escorted in. My mother was there to, her black eye stood out against her flawless features. James and Sarah looked uneasy but they smiled when they saw me. I'd been provided a defense attorney, I didn't like him much but he seemed to want to get me back home. He'd told me that considering how small Castle Rock was, he was brought in from out of state and the judge would be too so the trial would be prosecuted fairly. "Do you really have to have her in chains? She's only twelve years old it's not like she's going to try and make a run for it. Plus her family is here!" he'd said when he saw me.

The officer just shrugged, "Rules are rules." He was old, and wasn't the new guy that'd been mainly escorting me around.

I was clad in orange, my ankles and wrists were cuffed and every time I moved they made a clanking noise. I'd seen a trauma specialist while I was locked up, he'd told me I was suffering from post-traumatic stress. I wanted to laugh, but it didn't seem like the best time. Now my head shut down the trial so I couldn't hear it. My thoughts raced as the words I'd heard when I was fighting with my dad, kept replaying. "Nothing will happen to me. I'll always be here for you. It'll be okay, I promise.....I promise....."The thought of actually being sent away scared me, I couldn't leave Chris, I'd promised him I would always be there for him. How was I suppose to do that if I got sent to jail or a juvenile hall?

I wasn't allowed to take the stand, the 'specialist' had decided that having to retell the story again would only further my 'trauma'. I'd actually laughed when I'd heard him telling my attorney. "Miss. Carson?" the judge asked. I looked at him, "Miss. Carson I am releasing you into the custody of your mother, Cassandra Carson. I am clearing you of all charges, on account of the evidence provided and declaring it was self defense. You are free to go."

I heard Samuel jump up and cheer but I couldn't celebrate with him, my mind couldn't get off the fact that none of my friends showed up. The new police officer came over and unlocked my chains and gave me a smile. I turned to my attorney and thanked him with a hug, "You stay out of trouble kid."

Seconds later I was picked up and spun around, Samuel's laughter echoed through the court room. He set me down and we hugged and I gave him a huge smile. I hugged Eyeball when he came over too, "Don't you ever do something like this again you hear?"

I nodded, "Promise."

Mom came over and whispered, "The judge may have put you in my custody but you are no longer a daughter of mine. You're a murderer."

She took James and Sarah's hands tightly and pulled them away, silent tears slipped down their faces as Sarah and James turned too look back at me, my mother however never stopped. .

Samuel, "Don't worry about her, she's never really claimed us as her children anyway."

I smiled, "Do you know where Chris and them are?"

Samuel laughed, "Yeah, your little friends said something about that stupid tree house. They weren't allowed in so Eyeball's kid brother asked if we'd tell you that they'd be there."

I smiled, "It's not a stupid tree house, but still, thank you." I kissed him on the cheek and ran out of the courtroom, or at least ran as best as I could. I had been privileged enough to be allowed to see a doctor while I stayed in jail and he'd given me a new brace for my knee and ankle. Along with some pain killers and he'd given me some anti-inflammatory that helped the swelling go down immensely.

As I went through town people gave me glares, half was because of my name, the other I assumed was because I was strolling down the street dress in an orange jail house jumpsuit and I'd just been tried for murder. Ignoring them, I continued my way to the tree house. Sneaking up to the ladder I did the secret knock and waited. When nothing happened after a few minutes I was about to knock again until I heard the radio cut, and the sound of scurrying feet. The trap door was lifted and all four boys' heads were looking down at me, "Mel!"

I smiled, "The one and only." We climbed down from the tree house and they all gave me hugs. Vern, "Oh God, Mel, I was so worried, sincerely. I didn't know what would have happened. I even had nightmares, truly Mel, they were scary," he rambled.

I laughed. "Geeze Mel, next time you know you could give us a little warning before you off your old man like that," Teddy said.

He received a slap in the back of the head from Chris. Gordie hugged me again, "I knew you'd get off. Self-defense, that's what it was ruled under, right?"

I nodded and started to talk but Chris interrupted me, "We tried getting into the trial, but they wouldn't let us. Said we were too young or some shit like that."

"Samuel told me. And the trial wasn't that great. I don't even remember most of it, so you didn't miss much."

I got bombarded with hugs again and they pulled away. Vern, "Man, you look real well, nothing like the day at the lake."

This time Gordie smacked Vern upside the head, "Shut up, Vern. We told you not to say anything."

I shook my head, "It's okay really. The only way to get over the past is to move onto the present and look forward to the future."

Teddy laughed, "Did they hand feed you that bullshit up there?"

"No, they didn't hand feed me anything 'up there', that's what my attorney told me," I replied curtly.

Vern, "Hey! Hey I gotta idea! Let's camp out tonight!"

Teddy, "Yeah!"

Gordie, "For old times' sake."

Chris, "Yeah, what do you say, Mel?"

I thought for a second, and started shaking my head, "I don't know..." They all erupted with their own two cents telling me I had to go. I laughed, "Alright, alright, but whose bringing the marshmallows?"

We went into our usual discussion about who brought what, and when that was over Teddy said, "Okay, we'll meet at Vern's at 1700 hours," we nodded in agreement and he started off, with Vern running after him saying something about setting up the tent.

Gordie, "I'll see you guys in a bit."

I smiled, "See you, Gordie."

Chris called bye to Gordie too and swung his right arm over my shoulders, "Come on."

We walked for a bit until I stopped. Chris turned around and gave me a curious gaze. "Chris...." I began but couldn't put what I wanted to say into words.

I was glad when Chris pulled me into a hug, being able to tell what I was wanted to say even if I couldn't put it to words, "Hey, every thing's okay."

I pulled away, "Okay? Chris, I killed someone, nothing is going to be okay! You and Gordie and Teddy and Vern are all acting like nothing has changed and it has, everything has! Maybe you all should just stay away, before something bad happens."

Chris grabbed my shoulders and made me face him, "Look at me. Mel, look at me. We know things are different, but how are we supposed to act? Are we supposed to be afraid of you? Are we supposed to turn our backs on you? You know we'd never do that, I know you don't want us to do that, so don't ever say that again. Do you understand?" I nodded slightly, "We've known you all our lives, Mel. We're not going to give up on you, we're not going to be afraid of you, we know you inside and out and we know you'd never hurt us. I know you'd never hurt us."

He pulled me back into a hug and I tightly wrapped my arms around him, "I thought I was going to be sent away. And all I could think about was how I'd break my promise to you, if I was."

Chris pulled back and looked at me, "Promise? What promise?"

"When you found me in my room, that night with Gordie? I promised you that I'd always be here for you, and if I got sent away...." I stopped, tears were threatening to fall and I hide my face. I'd never cried in front of the boys before especially not Chris, and I wasn't going to start. I pulled myself from his grasp, "Come on let's go.

Chris didn't say anything but he fell into step with me as we walked to his house first. I waited outside as he grabbed his bedroll and then we moved onto my house. Surprisingly James and Sarah weren't outside playing, but mom's car was outside. Stepping in I found mom smoking cigarettes on the couch she didn't look up at me but she looked at Chris, "Good evening, Christopher. How are you?"

He glanced at me and answered, "I'm fine, Mrs. Carson, thanks." I rolled my eyes and pulled him into the kitchen where we found Sarah and James sitting at the kitchen table eating sandwiches. They looked up and smiled when they saw me but didn't say anything. Going up to my room, "What was that all about?"

I shook my head as I picked the bed roll up that had been stuffed in the corner sense Harlow. "After the trial and the court said that they were releasing me back into her custody, she came up and told me I wasn't her daughter anymore."

Chris, "You don't need her, Mel. What has she done for you...ever?"

"I didn't say I needed her, I just said she doesn't need me," I said swinging the rope on the bed roll over my shoulders, I grabbed my money off the desk and we left. Heading down to the corner store, I grabbed six Hershey's chocolate bars and five cokes and Chris and I headed to Vern's.

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R&R :) please and thank you


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